


The Dark Side of Destiny: Book 1

by RebelFanja



Series: Dark Side of Destiny [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, I honestly don't know how long this series will be, Roleswap AU, it just keeps getting longer, it's starting to scare me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-05-19 15:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 28,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelFanja/pseuds/RebelFanja
Summary: In this alternate timeline, Garmadon was never bitten by the Great Devourer. But instead, his brother Master Wu, the King of the Underworld, is now devising a plan so he can wield the Weapons of Spinjitzu and rule over Ninjago. He needs the help of four young boys to retrieve the weapons for him. But first he must train them up and teach them his dark ways.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just part 1 of I-don't-know-how-many-parts-yet but as stated in the description, this first part has been completely written and edited, so you don't have to worry about it dropping off in the middle. In fact, I'm already editing part 2, so you'll get chapters for days! Well weeks, anyway. I feel I should also say that when I started writing this I had only seen up to Season 6 and Day of the Departed, so you'll have to forgive any continuity errors. 
> 
> EDIT: Eris345 on Wattpad for helped me find the original author that inspired me. She goes by AbbacchiosSunflower on AO3. She deleted the original story that I had read, but she started rewriting it from when Garm and Wu are fighting in the Serpentine Wars, and Wu was bitten by the Great Devourer and all that. It's called "In Another World 1: Pride Before the Fall." So if you like this AU concept, go check that one out, too!
> 
> I hope you enjoy and constructive criticism is welcome, as are any reviews, comments, or questions you happen to think of.

The monastery was bathed in golden light of the early morning sun as two brothers stood back-to-back, swords at the ready. Their father sat nearby on the steps of the porch that encircled the courtyard, polishing a set of golden weapons. The boys counted in their heads, and on three, they turned to face each other. The elder brother, Garmadon, swung first, forcing his brother Wu to block. He slashed his sword again and the younger boy sidestepped and retaliated.

They went back and forth like this across the courtyard, the sound of their weapons ringing through the air. They had been training together since they could walk, and they were nearly an equal match for each other. Nearly. But Garmadon wasn't about to let his little brother win, and as Wu carelessly brandished his sword, Garmadon found an opening and took advantage of it. He grit his teeth and swung with all his might, sending the sword flying out of his brother's hands . . . and sailing over the monastery wall.

The boys gasped. Their eyes darted to their father – he hadn't seemed to noticed.

"Hurry up, go get it!" Garmadon whispered to his little brother.

Wu bit his lip. "Maybe he won't notice . . . ."

"He will if you don't have it during our next training session!"

"But if I go now, father might see," the little boy whimpered, his blue eyes stretched wide. "Maybe I can get it later."

Garmadon rolled his eyes. Wu was just afraid to go outside the monastery walls because the mountain was so high he thought he might fall off. But Garmadon, being the older brother, tried to remain patient. "If dad did know, he would remind you not to put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

"But –"

Garmadon put a hand on his brother's shoulder, to silence his anxieties. "It's your sword, so it's your responsibility."

"You knocked it out of my hand!" Wu protested, raising his voice a little too much.

"Sh!" Garmadon threw a nervous glance at their father, but the man didn't show any sign that he was aware of their predicament. "Wu," he said quieter, gentler. "You can't let you fear control you. You'll be okay, I promise."

Wu looked wide-eyed at his big brother, and for a moment, Garmadon thought he was going to refuse. But then he nodded. "Okay."

"Good, I'll make sure father doesn't see you. Hurry!"

Wu sprinted away and scaled the wall. Garmadon watched as he reached top, took a deep breath, then dropped down on the other side.


	2. Battle Between Brothers

Garmadon awoke with the knowledge that something was very wrong. Wearily, he rubbed his eyes and sat up, glancing about the room for any sign of something amiss. The baby was sound asleep – a blessed rarity – and his wife also lay peacefully beside him, her breaths shallow and steady. There was nothing to be seen in the shadows. Still, he listened.

After a few moments of silence, he heard it. The faint scrape of a door sliding open somewhere in the monastery.

Careful not to disturb anyone, Garmadon seized his father's staff from beside the bed and crept out into the hall. With a rising sense of dread, he approached the door that lay open further down the hall. As he peered into the room, he spotted a blonde figure clothed in dark robes standing before the display which held the golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. Garmadon instantly recognized his brother, as well as the golden scythe and shuriken in his hands.

Garmadon's heart beat faster. He had always feared this day would come. Ever since their father died, he knew that his brother would be plotting to take the weapons for himself. Garmadon took a step into the room, no longer worried about stealth. "Wu . . . You know that we are not meant to touch those . . . ."

Wu paused and his grip on the weapons tightened. His voice was low when he said, "Tell me, what good is a weapon if all it's used for is collecting dust?"

"Brother, please . . . ."

Wu whipped around to face him, weapons at the ready. His red eyes glowed with fury as he snarled, "You are no brother of mine!"

"Put them down," Garmadon said more sternly.

"No! I've lived long enough in your shadow, in father's shadow. It's time I cast one of my own!"

"Don't be a fool," Garmadon pleaded. "Father warned that their power is beyond any one man –"

"Father was the fool!" Wu seethed.

Garmadon should have known better than to bring up their father. Wu had always been clear about his feelings toward him. Garmadon shifted his stance and tightened his grip on the staff. "We swore to protect those weapons. I don't want to fight you, brother, but I will if I have to. Those weapons are not leaving this monastery!"

"Then I'll destroy it, and anyone who stands in my way!" Wu struck the ground with the scythe. The earth shook, and Garmadon had to grasp the door frame in order to stay standing. He threw his staff like a javelin only to distract Wu so he could get closer and seize the sword and nunchucks. Grasping the sword, he blocked another blow from the scythe. He had to duck as Wu threw the shuriken at him, but swung the nunchucks to throw his brother back with lightning, sending him crashing through the wall to the courtyard outside.

Cautiously, Garmadon followed him into the courtyard. Wu was already struggling to his feet. "This is your last chance, Wu." Garmadon warned, his patience growing thin. "Put those weapons down, now!"

"You mean like this?" With a dark grin, he swung the scythe down, which Garmadon narrowly blocked with the sword, then again with the shuriken. Fire and ice collided, and the brothers struggled against each other. The power of the weapons swelled until it became too much and they were both thrown backward by an explosion.

A beam of light shot up and dark clouds rolled over the sky, making the night even darker as a portal was ripped open by the strain of the weapons. Garmadon got to his knees, his breath labored. When he looked up, he saw his wife standing in the doorway of the monastery, fear and shock written on her face.

"Misako!" he yelled, but he realized too late that Wu was right behind him. He turned just in time to see Wu raising the scythe for the final blow. Instinctively, Garmadon raised an arm to protect himself.

At that moment, the kanji on his robes shone and, before either of them could act, called forth lightning from the stormy skies. The lightning struck Wu, and Garmadon watched as his brother stumbled backwards, screaming in pain as his skin and his hair went from their light, natural tones to a charred, black pigment. He staggered as the earth opened up at his heels, growling in anger.

"No!" Garmadon bolted to his feet as his brother lost his balance and ran forward to seize his arm. But he couldn't get there in time, and his brother slipped and plummeted into the chasm.

As quickly as it had happened, the clouds vanished and the stars reappeared, the ground closed back up, and Garmadon was left kneeling in the courtyard, staring at the place where his brother had just been, the golden weapons scattered around him.

Misako barely hesitated before running out to him. She wanted to ask about what had happened, but she already knew enough to guess.

They were both silent for a long time.

Garmadon shuddered as he heaved as sigh. "He's gone," he said, so quiet it was practically a whisper. "And it's all my fault. It should have been me."

"There's nothing you could have done," Misako told him.

He just shook his head. Then he looked at her as if he'd just realized she was there. "Where's Lloyd?" He asked.

"Still asleep, I think. Come on." Together, they stood and walked back into the monastery.


	3. What Now?

Wu hit the ground with a back-breaking _THUD_ and he gasped as the air was knocked out of him. Every muscle, every bone, every cell in his body was screaming with pain. Still, he gritted his teeth and rolled onto his side, heaving himself to his feet. Wherever he was, it was very dark; he couldn't see more than a few feet around himself. It reeked of death and decay, and the cold air stung against his marred skin.

However, Wu barely noticed any of this as he turned his face skyward and yelled to the heavens, "I curse you, Garmadon! All of you! I swear I will return one day, and there will be no one to stand in my way! The Weapons of Spinjitzu will be mine!"

While he spoke, an army of skeletons was amassing in the shadows around him, creeping nearer and nearer without hardly a sound. One in particular, larger than the rest, approached Wu from behind. On his head, a black helmet glinted in the dim light, denoting him as the leader. The skeleton crossed his four arms in contempt at the sight for the intruder. "Well, if it isn't Wu."

Wu turned, and upon seeing him, realized just where he had landed, in the Underworld. And these Skulkins weren't going to take kindly to his spontaneous arrival. He eyed the soldiers that surrounded him. Realistically, he wouldn't be able to fight all of them, especially not on their own turf. He'd have to think of something else.

"My, my, how you've changed," The general commented, taking in the blackened hair and skin. "Where's your pathetic brother?"

"He is not my brother!" Wu retorted.

"Even so. I've been waiting for you to stop by for a visit." With a toothy grin, the Skulkin drew four knives from their sheaths. "It's payback time!" he growled.

"You're quite right," Wu said, an idea forming. "It is payback time."

"Is that a challenge?"

"That it is," Wu answered with a wry smile.

"You fool!" Samukai swung one knife and Wu nimbly dodged it. "I will crush you!" the general vowed as he swung again, and again – but Wu was too quick.

Even with four hands, Samukai couldn't keep up with intruder. Wu managed to get behind Samukai and landed a kick to his crooked vertebrae. The skeleton stumbled and his helmet clattered to the ground. Another kick sent Samukai down with it. He quickly regained his footing. "It's time to end this!" he shouted.

Wu smirked. "I couldn't agree more." Summoning all his strength, Wu launched into a tornado of Spinjitzu. It was dark in color, with swirling shards of ice. Samukai couldn't touch Wu. The Skulkin was swept into the vortex and Wu hit Samukai square in the nasal cavity. As Samukai hit the floor, his weapons, too, were ripped away by the tornado. With a wave of his hand, Wu sent the knives straight for Samukai. The general shut his eyes in fear as the knives embedded themselves harmlessly in the wall behind him. He gasped, shocked to find that he had been spared.

Having proven his point, Wu let his cyclone dissipate, then knelt down to pick up Samukai's fallen helmet. He couldn't help but chuckled as he placed it on his own head, thinking of all he could achieve with his own personal army. "Payback, indeed."

* * *

"Garmadon?" Misako had found her husband in the weapons room, staring at the golden weapons intently. They had been restored to their original place on the display. The wall to the right, however, still had a gaping hole. It was covered by a tarp which was constantly flapping in the wind. Garmadon had promised to fix it, though Misako didn't think that would be good for him, as it would force him to relive the memories of that night.

Of course, no matter what he did, he still couldn't shake them. Garmadon sighed as Misako walked up behind him. "They can't stay here. He's not going to give up so easily." At times, Garmadon seemed to mourn his brother, as if he was dead, and at others he spoke as if he knew that Wu would return.

Misako placed a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "What will you do?"

He shook his head. "They can't stay here."

"The safest place they can be is with you," Misako assured him.

"Maybe," he said, avoiding her gaze, but she could see the guilt written in his eyes.

"Where else would they go?" she asked, feeling very cynical about the idea.

But he could only sigh as he ran his fingers through his chestnut hair and answered, "I don't know."

Misako was silent for a moment as she considered it. The wind continued to flutter through the tarp, chilling the air inside and causing her to shiver.

Garmadon was probably right. Though the monastery was pretty well fortified, it might be wiser to move the weapons to a place where Lloyd would not be in danger if Wu attacked again. "Well, we could hide them with someone, a guardian. Maybe one of the other Masters would be willing to help us."

Garmadon nodded. "I've been thinking about that, but I'm not sure who would be the best qualified. I wanted to ask Ray, but . . . ."

Misako shook her head solemnly. "Ray has made it clear that he wants to leave the world of the elements behind."

"I can't blame him," Garmadon mumbled.

"But you know if you asked him, he would say 'yes.'"

Now it was Garmadon who shook his head. "No, you're right. Ray and his family deserve their shot at a quiet life after everything they've done already."

"Well, you can think more about it later. Right now dinner is ready, and you need to come and eat with _your_ family."

Garmadon finally looked her in the eye and a bit of light returned to his features as he broke into a smile. "Alright, alright. But you get to feed Lloyd this time. That boy is a mess!"


	4. Prophecies and Plots

A little over a week after their talk, Garamdon and Misako had been brainstorming the best way to protect the weapons and had settled on a handful of ideas to keep them out of Wu's reach. Further preparations would take a lot more time, but Garmadon seemed to feel a little better now that they were making progress. Meanwhile, Misako was working on a little project of her own.

She sat now in the monastery's library, scanning through aging scrolls and ancient tomes. In the distance, she could hear sounds of laughter as Garmadon played with Lloyd in the courtyard.

Ever since the battle between Garmadon and Wu, her husband had been more regretful of the past and more weighed down by responsibility than ever before. His actions since then showed how hard he was trying to make things right. Misako could see plainly the guilt he felt towards his brother's fate.

But all this had gotten Misako thinking: what if it wasn't fate? Evil ran through Wu's veins, but was it truly destiny, or could it be removed?

Determined to help her family, Misako had set out to learn what she could about the Great Devourer and Wu's condition and, hopefully, find some way to cure him. She'd always had an interest in studying history and learning secrets of the past, but with the hope of saving someone close to her, it had turned into a passion. So Misako had pulled out everything in the library that had even the slightest mention of the Great Devourer or the balance of good and evil or dark magic. She only hoped that amongst all this knowledge there would be an answer.

She examined scrolls, one after another, but nothing helpful caught her eye. She flipped through pages of books thick with days long past, but still found nothing.

Sighing to herself, Misako wondered for a moment if this really was hopeless. Surely, when Wu had been bitten all those years ago, the First Spinjitzu Master must have read through every scroll in search of a way to save his son. Surely, if anyone would have known what to do, it would have been him.

She rolled up another piece of parchment before setting it aside and picked up another to examine. But as soon as she unfolded it and caught sight of the images, she knew that it involved Wu. The painted image of a shadowy figure loomed at the forefront, unmistakable as the ghastly creature that she had watched fall into the Underworld.

But it was a prophecy, not yet fulfilled, that spoke of the Ultimate Battle between good and evil. This was hardly news, however. Misako had already found a hundred scrolls about the same thing. However, this prophecy was the first to paint a clear picture of Wu, in both words and image. Curious, she took a closer look.

Prophecies are often difficult to interpret correctly at first, vague as they are, and so full of symbolism and metaphors. In fact, Garmadon had once been certain that he had found the prophesied Green Ninja, though he’d turned out to be wrong.

But there was no mistaking the words in this scroll. It drew a clear line from the First Spinjitzu Master to the Final Battle through his own descendants. Wu, his own son, would be an instrument of evil and attempt to bring about a world of darkness. But in order for there to be balance, Wu would have to be faced by one of equal power to the First Spinjitzu Master, someone to which the power of light and energy would be passed down. The prophecy went on to speak about descendants and kin, and soon it was all too obvious.

Garmadon's son, descendant of the First Spinjitzu Master – Misako’s  _baby_ – was destined to become the Green Ninja and fight Wu for the fate of the world.

* * *

Wu sat cross-legged in his new throne room amongst dim candlelight and more bones than he knew what to do with. In his hands he held a steaming cup of tea. And there was incense. Lots of incense. The stink of death was too much for him to tolerate very long. He breathed in the calming scents, clearing his mind so he could focus on the task at hand.

He had an army, but he still needed a plan. No matter the strength that Wu gathered, Garmadon would be expecting him to return, and Wu would need something foolproof. There was no way that Wu could go back to the monastery in hopes of stealing weapons again; most likely, Garmadon would hide them elsewhere so Wu would have to take the time to track them down, as well as to draw Wu away from his brother's family. But where to begin looking, Wu couldn't be sure.

Then there was the problem of the weapons' power. Clearly he wasn't in a state to wield them properly. That problem in itself required its own plan

Another problem was the balance of good and evil. Ninjago had always managed to keep itself balanced one way or another, but since Wu's father had passed, there was nothing to offset the darkness within Wu himself. But there was sure to be a counterbalance of light that would rise up against him. Wu had his own suspicions about this.

Finally, and most importantly, being trapped in the Underworld didn't make it easy to solve any of these issues, and he wasn't confident that he would be able to employ his new Skulkin underlings to take care of anything for him. They were a bunch of bumbling idiots, so whatever task he gave them, he couldn't be sure they wouldn't mess it up. That was yet another problem: making his new army battle-ready. Sure, they already had a lot of fighting experience, but there was a reason Wu and Garmadon had been able to defeat them in the past.

Taking in a long sip of tea, Wu didn't allow these obstacles to faze him. All he needed was a little patience. He would have his revenge, in time.

Wu was jostled out of his meditation by the echoing creek of door hinges as Samukai entered and kneeled before him. "What?" the dark lord growled.

"Master, the scouts have returned. I came to report their findings."

Wu forced himself to stay calm, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Very well," he responded. This banishment was still new to him, and he hadn't yet gotten used to his incorporeal form in Ninjago. For the time being, he sent the skeleton soldiers to do the spying for him.

"The weapons remain in the monastery, but it seems that Garmadon plans to move them as soon as he can. We don't know where, though, at least not yet."

Wu nodded slowly. After a moment's pause he asked, "And how is Garmadon?"

Samukai was a little taken aback by this question. "He's uh . . . fine." The Skulkin shrugged.

"And his son?"

"He's fine too . . . I think. But you didn't say you wanted us to . . . ."

Wu waved his hand dismissively. "I know, I know. I was just thinking. I expect that the boy will be raised to help protect the golden weapons, and more importantly, to battle myself alongside Garmadon."

Samukai nodded, thinking he understood. "Yes, we should kill him now, before he becomes a threat."

But Wu shook his head. "I have a feeling that destiny won't allow it. But – Garmadon might be on to something. There could be much to gain from having a pupil."

Samukai quirked his brow bone in question. "An apprentice, Master?" Was his army of skeleton warriors not enough?

Wu was smiling now at the genius of the plan stirring in his mind. "To obtain and protect the weapons of Spinjitzu for _me_. An apprentice. Or should I say . . . apprentices."


	5. Master of Lightning

The sun was shining, the day was warm, and the smell of fresh flowers was in the air. School was in session, but at a pause. Children were running all around outside of the school, shrieking as they chased each other, laughing as they played games, and one or two crying after a nasty fight. However, not every child was so keen to have fun in the sun. One lone boy sat apart from the rest, by the corner of the school building, hoping for some peace to let him focus on his work.

"Perfect!" Jay said to himself as he took in his finished creation. He'd just attached the last piece and now it was finally ready for testing. It was a visual aide for his upcoming school project – a book report, actually – and he'd been working on it every day at every opportunity for weeks. On the playground, during lunch, and after school. He'd only had a little help from his parents, but overall, in was his invention and his handiwork.

Now, the moment of truth: to see if it was functional.

It was a fairly simple machine, no electricity or wires, more like popsicle sticks and rubber bands. All he had to do was flick the first piece and it would start a chain reaction. He watched as objects fell and flipped and spun by the power of gravity alone. "Yes!" he cheered himself when it succeeded, swelling with pride. "It worked!" After all his hard work, it had come together perfectly, just in time for his report the next day.

"What are you doing?"

Jay turned to see three boys from his class watching over his shoulder. "Oh, hi!" Jay flashed a bright smile. "This is my project. I've been working on it for weeks and I actually got it to work! I just tested it and it went great. I was a little worried it wasn't stable enough, but it held together really good! Wanna see?"

But the kids just continued to frown at it. "You're doing homework. During recess?" one of them asked incredulously.

Jay shrugged. "I don't think of it as homework. It's fun. I could even show you how to make it!" he offered. "It'd be a lot easier to replicate since I already worked out all the problems, and it's the materials aren't hard to get, especially these sticks 'cause you get to eat a bunch of popsicles!"

Another boy broke out in a fit of laughter. "That's so dumb!" he declared, and the other two chuckled with him. "No wonder no one will play with you!"

Jay visibly wilted at this.

"You're such a nerd," the third boy said.

"Yeah, no one'll ever want to hang out with you if you're always doing _homework!"_

And with that, one of the boys kicked Jay's creation, sending the pieces sprawling, and all three of them ran off laughing.

Jay bolted to his feet. "Hey!" he yelled after them. "You can't do that!" But the damage was already done, and none of them cared. He was tempted to run after them, but it wouldn't make any difference.

Jay knelt back down and began collecting the pieces of his now-useless project, growing angrier and angrier. But soon he found himself fighting back tears.

All his hard work . . . .

Jay wiped one eye with the sleeve of his shirt before a tear could escape. There was no use crying about it. And he didn't want to give them that satisfaction. The best thing to do would probably be to tell his teacher. Or maybe he could still fix it.

Jay  did his best to put everything back where it belonged, but as soon as he moved his hands away, it all crumbled apart again. Jay groaned. “It’s impossible!” 

“Is i t?”Again, Jay was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a stranger. He looked up to see a man standing on the other side of the corner in the school's shadow.  “Or are we only confined by the walls we build ourselves?” the man asked. Jay squinted, but he couldn't quite make out his features, hidden in the shadows. The man tossed something to him, which Jay nimbly caught in his fingers. It was bent up paper clip from his machine.

Jay  wanted to ask what the mysterious man had meant, but he was already speaking again. "What happened here?" he asked, eyeing the scattered debris. "Something go wrong?"

Jay continued to pick up the debris. "It was working just fine before those bullies came and messed it up," he answered, his anger resurfacing.

The man nodded. "I see. Bullies are often a problem. Do you get bullied a lot?"

Jay paused, thinking about it. "Well, not really. But most other kids don't like to hang out with me, and sometimes they can be kind of mean."

"I understand. When I was your age, people treated me the same way."

"Really?" Jay asked, eyes wide with disbelief. Someone understood him? That was new. Jay stared at the man in awe. “Who are you?” he wondered aloud. 

“A dreamer, like you. Attempting to build the impossible. Care to join?”

“Join . . . what?” 

"You're not alone, Jay. There are other kids in the world who are bullied, too. But I want to help people like you, so you don't have to be treated like this."

As much as he tried not to show it, Jay's interest was clearly piqued. "Like, how?"

Wu opened his mouth to speak, but as he leaned against the wall, he seemed to stumble. He quickly recovered and stepped away. He said, "I want to give you a place where you will be accepted, where others won't laugh at your talents, but praise them. And by teaching you to defend yourself at times like this."

Jay looked at the scraps in his hand. This was the first time anything like this had happened. Surely it wouldn't happen again, not after he told someone about it. "They're no usually this mean . . ." Jay mumbled.

"This won't be the last time, Jay, I promise you that. I already told you, I've been in your position before, and I know what it's like. If you don't stand up for yourself, they will never leave you alone."

Jay thought about it. Maybe it would be a good idea to learn how to scare off those boys in case they ever made fun of him again. It would at least make him look cooler, not to mention all that stuff Wu had said about being accepted and understood. The boy couldn't help but crack a smile, just thinking about the possibilities. He stood now. "You're right! I'll show those bullies that they can't push me around anymore!"

Wu chuckled. "I like your enthusiasm. But you'll have to save it."

"What? You mean we're not starting yet?"

"I apologize for making you wait, but there are a few things I still have to sort out." He paused, thinking, then added, "Starting a week from today, I want you to come back here right after school, everyday. Tell your parents that you're taking self-defense classes. I won't be here when you come, but you'll figure out how to reach my place; you'll know it when you see it."

"Uh, okay. But what if those bullies come back before then?"

"Don't you worry about it," Wu encouraged him. "You're strong, Jay. I'm sure you can take care of yourself until then."

Jay was about to protest more when he realized that he was being called back into the school. When he turned his attention back to Wu, however, the man was already gone. He hurried and picked up the last few pieces of his wrecked machine. Despite the disappointment of having to wait, Jay had a big smile on his face, already imagining the looks on those boys' faces when he showed them a bunch of cool fighting moves.


	6. Master of Earth

It was getting dark out. Crickets chirped as a gentle breeze blew in through the window, stirring Cole's hair. Although he was supposed to be getting ready for bed, the boy sat at his desk in front of the window, head resting on his folded arms. The faint sound of music and father's soulful voice could be heard through the walls. Cole wished he would stop; his father acted like he didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, Cole was facing years of humiliation going forward, not to mention the laughter still ringing in his ears.

_ You can do it, _ his father had said.  _ It'll be fine, _ he'd said.

But after just one flip, Cole had fallen flat on his face. Everyone had laughed. And instead of comfort or apologies, his father only offered criticism, saying that he'd be able to do it right next time. But Cole swore then and there that he would never attempt the Triple Tiger Sashay again.

Cole buried his head in his arms at the shame of the memory. His father had been mad at first, but already he seemed to have forgotten what had happened. He didn't care that Cole had been embarrassed in front of everyone he knew. That tomorrow, Cole would have to go out and face immense shame as he was mocked for his failure, not to mention the disappointment of everyone else in his quartet. He felt his cheeks burn just thinking about it.

"I hate dancing," the boy grumbled to himself.

"Too hard?" Cole jumped and lifted his head at the sound of a stranger's voice. "Or just too humiliating?"

Cole saw that there was a man standing outside his window. In the dying light of the sun, his figure was silhouetted so that Cole couldn't make out his face.

"Umm . . . ."

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," the man apologized, "but you seemed so upset."

Cole wasn't sure how to respond. His mother had always warned him about talking to strangers. "Who are you?" he asked tentatively. 

"Maybe that is a question for me to ask." 

Cole wondered if it would be wise to go get his dad. He could still hear the timbre of his father's song in the other room.

The man raised his head slightly, as if he had only just took notice of the sound. "Is that your father singing?"

Cole nodded.

"He seems to be a man of great talent. Let me guess . . . he's forced you into following his footsteps, hasn't he? But it sounds like it's not the life you want. You have different dreams, but no matter what you do, you don't feel like he listens to you."

"Whoa," Cole breathed in amazement. This stranger had really hit the nail on the head, though Cole was somewhat ashamed to say so. It made his father sound bad.

The man outside the window seemed to take Cole's reaction as a 'Yes.' "And does your mother agree with him?" he pressed further.

Cole looked down and shook his head. "She died a few years ago," he answered quietly.

"I see. My father, too, left a great legacy and expected me to succeed him. But I didn't want to be like him. I have my own destiny, my own purpose to fulfill. He could never understand that, though."

"So what did you do about it?" Cole asked, hoping that the experienced stranger could give him some helpful advice.

"As I said, it was my destiny, not his. So I took matters into my own hands."

Cole considered this. If he tried to anything other than performing, his father would probably get angry with him. But the more Cole thought about it, the more certain he was that he did not want to be a dancer for the rest of his life. It felt like there was no way out. He shrugged helplessly. "What can I do?"

"I'll tell you what: there's this little group I've been putting together, a little like a class. It's for boys like you who are trying to make their own place in the world. And you won't have to dance, I promise."

"What do they learn in this class?"

Even in the shadows, Cole could make out his grin. "That's the exciting part. If you're interested, I'll teach you how to fight." He leaned towards Cole and whispered conspiratorially, "That's my place in the world."

Fighting? That certainly sounded like more fun than dancing. Cole looked to his door; his father's voice still reverberated to some unheard tune, but it had grown even fainter, as if he had moved into another room. Cole turned to the man again. "But how will I convince my father to let me go?"

The man outside gave a nonchalant shrug. "Tell him that it's for more dance lessons. If he doesn't listen to you, he won't deserve to know the truth, yet."

Cole winced, still uneasy about the thought of lying to his father.

"Wait, you don't think I'm asking you to lie, do you?" the man asked incredulously. When Cole tilted his head, confused, he continued, "No, no, it's more like a surprise. You can tell him the truth in time, but only when you can show him how good you are at it. Then he'll have to realize how much better fighting is than dancing. That is, if you decide you enjoy it."

Cole glanced one more time at his door, but his father's voice had faded away completely now. He nodded. "I'll do it. Anything sounds better than dancing."

The man outside nodded. "Good. In four days' time, come to the back of your house. You'll know how to find me, it will be obvious." The man was already turning to leave when Cole stopped him.

"Wait! What's your name?"

The man paused and looked back at him. "Wu. What's yours?"

"Cole."

Wu nodded. "It's been a pleasure talking with you, Cole."

Cole nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face as the man began to walk away. "You, too."

By now the sun had almost sunk all the way down and the daylight was nearly gone. Cole paused for a moment and listened. He could no longer hear his father's lilting song. The crickets, too seemed to have grown tired of singing. Instead, silence hung in the air, heavy and deafening, broken only by the occasional breath of wind that stirred the curtains. He hopped down from the seat at his desk, deciding that it was about time he really did get to bed.


	7. Master of Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know it doesn't make any sense, but we're just going to pretend that Zane can age like the others because I'm too lazy to work around it. So yes, he's still a robot, but for now he also looks like a kid like the rest of them.

Chill, icy wind rattled the branches of the leafless trees, brushing sparkling white snow to the ground around their roots. A village, small but content, was nestled securely amongst the trees like an egg in a nest. The inhabitants milled about its streets, carrying out their routine schedules.

Zane strolled through the village, observing the people he passed. He knew each one of them by name, he'd been around long enough. Life here was fairly simple. Any worries or complications were trivial in the grand scheme of things. It was a pleasant, peaceful life. But it wasn't quite what Zane wanted.

About a year ago, Zane had found himself lost in the wood with no memory and no family. He'd stumbled upon this village, expecting to find someone who'd know him, but not a single person had any clue as to where he came from. He had stayed in the town, sheltered in the hospitality of the very kind and very concerned villagers, hoping that his family would appear one day. As of yet, none had materialized, and he was beginning to lose faith that anyone ever would. But he hadn't lost _all_ hope.

Zane was stirred from his thoughts by the laughter of children playing in the snow a short distance away as they made snowmen and snow angels. It looked entertaining. More entertaining than roaming the streets by himself. Zane decided to request permission to participate.

He approached the other children, shoving down a slight bout of anxiety. There was nothing to be afraid of, they were nice children. He paused near them and cleared his throat. "May I join you?" he inquired.

At that moment, every one of them halted what they were doing to gaze at him. Zane was slightly perturbed by the brief moment of hesitation before one boy answered, "Uh, sure." The boy glanced around at the other children. "A few of us were just having a snowman building contest. You wanna make one?"

"I'd love to," Zane said with a smile, and the negative feelings began to dissipate. The snow crunched as he got down on his knees and began amassing mounds of snow. The others went back to their previous engagements, leaving him to construct his own snowman. Before long, he'd collected enough to pack it all together and smooth it out to form a base.

As he worked, he became so focused on the task that he forgot about the other children around him. And soon enough, he was rolling the smooth, round, topmost sphere onto the growing figure. When he stepped back, content with his work, he realized that, once more, those around him had stopped. He smiled and gestured to his completed sculpture. "Ta-da!" he said as he'd heard them say before.

"Wow!" they gasped. It was only then that Zane took notice of the considerably less impressive sculptures that they had made. Their snow wasn't nearly as smooth, and the heads were fit on so lopsidedly that they appeared as if they would fall off with just a breath of wind. A wave of embarrassment washed over him as the children 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at his perfectly smooth and symmetrical snowman. Perhaps he had overdone it and made himself stand out again. Not to mention that he had been so focused on making the perfect snowman that he had forgotten to communicate with his peers, to get to know them, and find common ground. Once again, he had alienated himself.

After they had all finished admiring his snowman, there didn't seem much point in continuing with their inferior attempts, and so the snowmen were quickly abandoned.

One girl turned to Zane and asked, "How did you learn to build a snowman like that?"

"I don't know," Zane admitted. "I do not remember learning the skills. There is a great deal about my past that I cannot remember."

He caught some of the children exchanging a look, one that he most often witnessed in adults. It was a combination of pity and discomfort. Perhaps he should not have brought up his predicament while they were trying to enjoy themselves. He endeavored to change the subject. "What shall we do now?"

"I dunno," one boy shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

Zane seriously considered this for a brief moment before a handful of snow struck the boy who had asked. The boy immediately whipped around, glaring. The assailant looked away, acting overly nonchalant.

With a good-natured smirk, the boy who'd been hit dropped down and began scooping up his own mass of snow.

"Ahh!" The snowball thrower shouted and fled, but he couldn't escape. Zane watched curiously as they chased each other around, throwing snow at each other, and within minutes, witnessed the rest of the village's children get swept up into the conflict until the street had erupted into a full-blown frosty war.

Internally, Zane was trying to convince himself that he should join. It looked like fun . . . sort of. At least, it looked like they were having fun, which was what Zane wanted, but he didn't see why attacking each other in this way was so entertaining. A few passing adults got caught in the cross-fire and shouted at the children for being so reckless.

Zane flinched when one of the icy projectiles hit him. He glanced around, but it was too chaotic to see who had hit him. It might have been completely by mistake. Zane kept telling himself that he should do something instead of simply standing there, but he just couldn't bring himself to join in. The idea of participating made him uncomfortable, but it also felt awkward to observe. So he decided it would be best to give up and leave. He turned and walked away from the scene when he heard one adult whisper to another, "Look at Zane, at least he knows how to behave himself. Why can't they be more like him?"

Zane ducked his head and picked up the pace. No matter how hard he tried it seemed he always stood out in one way or another.

Zane made his way out of the village, taking refuge in the nearby woods. The white birch trees were leafless but weighted down with snow. They lacked the color and vivacity that most people associated with tress, their stark wood blended in with their surroundings as the stood on the outskirts of the village, ever-present and ever-watching, hardly noticed. Zane sat down under one of the trees ignoring the snow packed among the roots. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. And as he sat, he wondered: even if his family came looking for him, would they like what they found?

"Hello, Zane." 

Zane's gaze shot up. He was surprised to see a shadowy figure standing at a distance in the sparse shade of the trees. Try as he might, he couldn’t quite make out his features in the shadows.

"Hello. Have we met before?" he asked, uncertain. With his shoddy memory, it was possible he wouldn’t recognize the man even if he could see him. 

"No,” the strange man responded. “But some would say I have a knack for finding young talent. But tell me, you seem troubled. Is there something wrong?"

Zane shook his head. "I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing wrong." It made him feel a little better to have someone worry about him. "Are you lost?" he wondered aloud, hoping he could be helpful in return.

“Lost? Hm. An interesting word,” the man said, appearing to ponder the word. “Sometimes one has to be lost, in order to be found.” 

Zane considered this. Or, he tried to. But he couldn’t make sense of the man’s words. “That does not make any sense,” he finally concluded. 

“Maybe one day, but not today,” the man responded, still failing to say anything sensible. He looked to the village where the others could still be heard laughing as they ran in circles and threw balls of snow at one another. He turned back to Zane. "Why are you not with your friends? It sounds like you're missing out."

"They're not technically my friends." The man tilted his head, prompting an explanation. "I don't fit in with them. Everything I do is strange to them, and everything they do is strange to me. I think . . . I may be better off on my own."

"Ah," the stranger nodded thoughtfully. I know exactly how that feels."

Zane gazed up at him with wide eyes. "You do?"

"Sadly, yes. Growing up, I was always singled out as the odd one; my brother and his friends could never understand me. I tried, of course, to get along with them, but my brother always pushed me away. I've been alone for as long as I can remember."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Briefly, Zane speculated whether he was destined to share the same fate.

"I don't think it's by chance that I came here today,” the strange man continued. “You and I, we understand each other. But you should know that it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to be alone. I have an opportunity that you may be interested in."

"What's that?" Zane asked, his curiosity peaked.

"I've been gathering a group of boys who are just like you, boys who were lost until I found them, who don't fit in with others. You would be able to meet with others who feel the same things you are feeling, people who understand you and who will accept you."

Zane was awestruck by the idea that there were other people like him. Could he really, finally make friends who understood him?

"This isn't just any group, though. We will be meeting regularly as I teach each of you how to fight."

"Fighting?" Zane frowned. What would he want or even need to know about fighting? The village he lived in was very peaceful, as was all of Ninjago.

The man nodded. "It's an important skill. Young boys ought to know how to defend themselves. Besides, the lessons require you to work together with others, encouraging team building. It's a great way to develop trust and friendship amongst one another."

Zane hesitated. He still wasn't so sure that violence would be the best means to make friends.

"I don't want you to be alone, Zane. I really think this would be a great opportunity for you."

It really did seem to be his only option if he didn't want to spend his days wandering the streets by himself, listening to the laughter of the other children juxtaposed with his own thoughts. Finally, he nodded. "I will accept your offer."

"Wonderful," the man said with a wide smile.


	8. Master of Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that this would be a good time to remind you all that I haven't seen anything from Season 7 and on yet, so there may be some things that go against cannon, specifically in chapters like this that deal with Kai and Nya's family.

"Sit down."

Kai obeyed, kneeling at the dining room table while his father loomed over him from the other side, arms crossed. His mother stood there, too, though in her eyes he saw more disappointment than anger, and he had to lower his gaze.

"We are very disappointed in you, Kai," his father announced.

Kai said nothing, his gaze fixed on the table in front of him.

His father continued, "You're behavior was unacceptable. Your mother and I aren't going to stand for this kind of thing, you hear me?"

"He had it coming," Kai muttered. He had thought he was doing the right thing, that his parents would be proud of him. Seems he was wrong.

His lack of remorse only made his father angrier. "Young man, that is no excuse –" Kai's mother laid a hand on his father's shoulder, cutting him off as she reminded him to remain calm. He paused a moment to reign in his emotions before continuing more calmly. "Look, son, the problem isn't whether or not you think you were justified, it's that you thought fighting was the best option."

"What we mean," his mother cut in, "is that we would rather you told one of us about it instead of taking matters into your own hands."

Kai clenched his fists as he remembered the bully's words. "I . . . I just couldn't let him get away with it!"

Now his mother came around the table and kneeled beside him. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, saying "Look at me, Kai. Let me make this clear: we do appreciate you standing up for your sister. But violence is not the way to solve your problems. It only leads to more violence, more anger, and more pain. We want you to understand that."

Reluctantly, Kai nodded.

"Alright. If you've already learned your lesson, then I don't think there's any reason to punish you. This time. But it had better not happen again."

Kai nodded again.

She kissed the top of his head, then stood to leave, gesturing for his father to go as well. His father threw him one last glance, as if he had still had more he wanted to say, but relented and followed her out.

For a while, Kai stayed where he was, still trying to justify his actions to himself. Of course he had known that he would get in trouble for fighting the guy. But Nya had been in tears and in the moment it hadn't seemed like the consequences really mattered. He didn't feel bad about it, either. He couldn't. That bully definitely deserved what he got.

Standing, Kai sighed to himself. Even so, his father was making him apologize tomorrow. That was punishment enough.

When he exited the dining room, he could hear his parents and Nya in another room. Of course, she wasn't in any trouble, she was the victim. But Kai wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, so he made his way outside instead.

The evening air was crisp. It sent a chill down Kai's spine, but he was too stubborn to go back inside for a coat. So he continued down the road away from his house. The afternoon sun was getting lower in the sky and did nothing to warm the air. Two or three trees were spread out along either side of the stone path where the wind blew through, causing the reddened leaves to drift aimlessly to the ground.

As he walked, his attention was caught by an unfamiliar man kneeling further ahead under the shade of one of the trees. Ignacia didn't get many visitors, and this man didn't seem to be searching for anyone or anywhere in particular. Kai wondered if he may be lost or if he was waiting on someone. "Hey, sir!" Kai called out as he drew closer. "You need anything?"

The man turned his head. "Not at the moment."

Kai paused on the road, now, having reached the visitor. He could now see that the man was holding a teapot, pouring himself a cup. Kai squinted against the sunlight, but he couldn't make out any of the man's features. "What are you doing _here_?" he asked. "We don't get many visitors."

"I have friends here. It's been a long time since I've seen them, so I stopped by to see how they've been doing. Would you like some?" The man offered, but Kai shook his head. He knew better. The man lifted a cup to his lips and Kai picked up the herbal scent of green tea wafting from the cup. Then the visitor spoke again. "May I ask you a question?"

Kai shrugged, indifferent.

"Where did you get that bruise?"

Without thinking, Kai's fingers reached to test the bruise forming on his cheek still tender and throbbing. "I was in a fight," Kai answered, his gaze drifting to his feet.

The visitor nodded. "I've been in many fights, myself. But choosing which fights to pursue and which to let go is an important skill to learn. Tell me, what was this fight for?"

"Just some bullies."

"Ah, I see," the stranger nodded. "A fight for honor. That is a noble cause. Did you win?"

Kai shrugged.

The man hummed thoughtfully before taking another sip of his tea. "What did your parents think?"

"They were pretty mad." Kai wasn't enjoying this talk with the stranger and all his probing questions. Kai decided to turn things around again. "What kind of fights have you been in?"

The man chuckled. "Mostly with bullies. The world is full of them. You say your parents were angry? Because you defended yourself?"

"Well . . . ."

"What exactly happened? Who started this fight?"

Kai scuffled his feet, slowly feeling more and more ashamed of his actions. "Well, I sort of hit him first. But he was being a real jerk, he really deserved it! I mean, I couldn't just let him get away with it! And there was no one around to help and . . . before I knew it, I'd already hit him and he was going to hit me back so I had to defend myself," The boy looked guiltily at his feet again. "I'm not even sorry I did it," he mumbled, knowing that the stranger would be disappointed in him, too.

"You shouldn't be." Kai looked up in surprise. "It sounds like he deserved it. And if there was no one else to help, I don't blame you for taking matters into your own hands."

At least _someone_ understood. "My parents don't feel that way," Kai grumbled.

The visitor shook his head. "Parents just worry that you'll get hurt. They tell you not to fight because you don't know how. They just want you to be safe."

"I guess I never thought of it that way." He supposed it made sense. After all, he _had_ gotten hurt in the fight – that was probably the real reason they were so angry with him. Maybe if he'd won they would have been more proud. He really couldn't have been doing anything wrong, protecting his sister. That's what he was _supposed_ to do.

"Does this bully bother you a lot?" the visitor interrupted his thoughts.

Kai shrugged. "I mean, he's always been a bit of a pain . . . Yeah, I guess."

The visitor nodded solemnly. "This isn't the end. He'll be back to finish what he started." He paused, swirling the teacup gently in his hand, stirring its contents. Though Kai couldn't see the details of his face, Kai sensed the man was thinking hard. "Destiny has brought me here today," the man continued. "It just so happens that I have been assembling a group of boys your age to teach them how to fight." Kai's eyes widened at that. "Perhaps you would like to join? I could teach you how to properly fight that bully so he'll never hurt you or your sister again."

Destiny . . .

Could it really be? What were the chances that this stranger would come to this small town with such an offer on today of all days? Kai looked back up the road behind him at his house. Maybe the man was right. Maybe if he learned to fight properly, if he could _win_ next time, maybe then his parents wouldn't be so angry with him. Maybe then they would be proud.

Kai turned back to the visitor, a smile on his lips. "I guess I can't turn up an offer like that."


	9. Training Begins

Jay became more uncertain as the day approached when he was supposed to meet Wu again. In fact, the whole situation was so strange that he was beginning to wonder if he hadn't imagined it. Even still, he was hopeful, and returned to the place where he had first met Wu, as instructed. And it was hard to ignore the truth when a portal suddenly opened up in front of him.

There was a sudden burst of light and color and Jay had to shield his eyes with his forearm. He squinted at a bright, swirling vortex. Captivated by the brilliant lights, Jay breathed an exclamation of astonishment. Wind whipped through his hair and electricity crackled in the surrounding air as a feeling of excitement filled him. He glanced around, but there was no one else to witness it. Remembering the strange man's words, he decided that if this wasn't a clear sign, he didn't know what else could be. He knew then that whatever lay beyond the portal would be better than what lay behind him. Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and swiftly stepped through it.

Moments later, someone tapped him on the shoulder and he opened one eye.

"You have arrived. You can open your eyes, now," a pale, blonde boy informed him.

Jay relaxed a little, trying not to look like such a fraidy-cat. "Oh, yeah. Thanks."

"Heh. Scared?"

Jay had to crane his neck to see who was behind the first boy. This one had unkempt hair and a reddish-purple bruise under one eye. Jay frowned, crossing his arms. "No! That thing was just really bright."

But as bright as the portal had been, wherever it had brought him was surprisingly dark., lit only by a few torches lining the walls. They burned with purple fire that made the room glow with an otherworldly feeling. They could have been underground, as the walls appeared to be made of stone and the floor, cracked earth. However, it smelled fairly nice for a cave, sweet and tangy, like flowers. On one side of the room was a single door, which only served to make Jay more curious about where exactly they were.

"As much as I love staring at walls," another boy said, "I'm itching to get started. Where's Wu?" He stood with his hands on his hips, a little taller than the rest of them, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

The boy with the bruise nodded his agreement. "I want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can!"

"Patience, boys."

They all turned to see Wu sitting at the other side of the room on some kind of throne, elevated on a dais. Jay wondered how he hadn't noticed him there before. Wu was looking down at all of them, and separately, they realized that this was the first time they had gotten a good look at him. He looked like something out of a horror movie: his hair and skin were a dark tone, his eyes burning red. The clothes he wore looked lighter in contrast, and he wore a straw hat that had been dyed black.

"You will all be skilled fighters soon enough," Wu promised. He got up and walked down the few steps to stand only a few paces before them. Collectively, the four boys stood at about his mid-torso. "But right now we must begin with introductions." He looked at Jay expectantly.

Jay was caught off guard as all eyes turned to him. "I'm Jay!" he said, trying to muster a friendly smile. Deep down, he was worried that these boys might find him just as nerdy and weird as all his classmates.

But the pale boy next to him smiled and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jay. My name is Zane." He held out his hand and Jay shook it.

"You, too."

Then they turned to the next boy down the line who simply said, "Kai," and gave a slight wave. Zane held out a hand to him as well. Kai eyed it as if a handshake was a foreign thing to him before giving in.

"A pleasure," Zane repeated.

Kai nodded.

The final boy announced, "I'm Cole. Nice to meet you all." He didn't hesitate with Zane, but firmly grasped his hand. Jay envied his confidence.

Wu nodded when they had finished. "Very good. It is important that you get to know each other well because you will be working together a lot. And let me stress that you will be _respectful_ of one another. Some of you have dealt with less than pleasant peers in the past, but I will not tolerate any form of bullying here. Do you understand?"

All four of them nodded.

Wu frowned. _"Do you understand?"_ he repeated louder, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.

"Yes sir," they replied.

"Sensei," he corrected them. "As your teacher I will demand a certain level of respect as well. Now, I understand that you are all eager to begin, but _you_ must understand that learning is a process and will take time. I promised that your skills will develop soon, but you are going to have to trust me. You must also understand that you may not quit on a whim. This is a commitment, to me and to each other, and we are going to take that seriously. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei."

Wu smiled. "Good." He turned and began to walk back up to his throne. "We will meet here every day. You will find my portals at the same time and the same place, provided there is no one else there to see it. You are not to tell anyone the details of what takes place here. It's like our little secret, understand?"

"Yes, sensei."

He paused next to his throne. "If you do well, you will be rewarded. If you disrespect each other or me, there will be consequences." He reached down and pulled something out from behind the throne. "This is your first reward." Right in front of their eyes, he spun into a whirling purple tornado and came spinning towards them. Before he knew what was happening, Jay found himself swept up in a blur of color and light for a brief moment. As fast as it had appeared, it came to a rest and Wu stood calmly before them again.

Needless to say, the boys were awestruck.

"How did you do that?"

"That was so cool!"

"I want to learn that!"

"Will you teach us, sensei?"

Wu held up a hand for silence. "That was Spinjitzu. You will all learn it in time. Now look down."

They did, and they realized that they had been given a brand new set of clothing: black ninja gis, each with a different colored belt. Again, all four boys were astounded by the skills they were promised to one day possess.

Cole raised his hand; even he did not want to risk disrespecting their new teacher.

Wu nodded for him to speak.

"Why is my belt black and theirs aren't?"

"Each of you has been chosen, each of you in tune with elemental properties." He approached Kai, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Kai, master of fire. It burns bright in you." The boy lifted his head higher, his eyes flickering with pride in the dim light of the torches. Wu turned to Jay next. "Jay is blue, master of lightning."

Jay took the momentary spotlight as his opportunity to reestablish his first impression and show off a little. "That's not all I'm the master of! I do a little inventing, I dabble in model building, a touch of cooking, a little poetry –"

"More like mouth of lightning," Cole whispered, making Kai snicker. Wu glared at them with his crimson gaze and they went quiet.

"Black ninja is Cole," he continued solemnly. "Solid as rock, master of Earth."

Cole put his fists on his hips and tried to stand a little taller. "Nice to meet you guys! I got your backs. And for the record, there ain't nothing in this world I'm afraid of."

Jay titled his head. No way that could be true. Everyone was afraid of something, right?

Wu turned to the final boy. "And white ninja is Zane Master of ice and seer with sixth sense."

"I _sense_ this one takes things a little too seriously," Kai muttered to Cole a little too loudly.

"You, too have the gift?" Zane asked with genuine curiosity.

Jay saw the look Wu was giving Kai and Cole. "Uh, I think he was just joking, Zane," he hurriedly said, hoping to keep the other two out of trouble.

Zane smiled. "Oh, yes. It was a joke. Ha ha." But his tone was so flat that Jay wasn't sure if he was making a joke himself.

Wu tapped the ground with his staff. "Pay attention!"

Cole raised his hand again, less confident this time. Wu nodded. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why us? And what do you mean by 'masters?'"

"That is a story for another time, Cole. For now, know that it simply means that you have the potential to command the world around you – if you keep up your training, that is." He turned back to the rest of the boys. "You will wear these clothes while you are training, but they will remain here. You will change after you arrive and before you leave. _Do you understand?"_

"Yes, sensei!" the boys answered with more enthusiasm than before.

Wu smiled, very pleased. "Now, who's ready to begin?"


	10. Lesson from the Past

By the end of their first lesson with Wu, Cole was too excited about going back to be able to focus on anything else. All that night, all the next morning, all the next day, he couldn't wait to return to their training. And so it continued, every day after, he and the others found themselves waiting out the whole day until the time when they could return to that mysterious place.

Their training was simple, for now, though they often questioned their teacher about learning the Spinjitzu technique he had demonstrated to them. He simply told them that the harder they trained, the sooner they would be ready to learn it.

Now, it was about a week after they had started, and the boys were starting to become good friends. For the most part, anyway.

Kai and Jay were in the middle of practicing a move they'd learned the day before while they waited for Wu to show up. Cole was standing off to the side, watching until one of them was ready to switch out with him. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Zane.

"I just arrived and saw you watching them practice. I assumed you were waiting to spar with one of them, so I thought I should ask if you would like to practice with me instead?"

Cole hesitated. He didn't want to be rude, but . . . well, he was already learning that Zane was a bit different than the others. "Um, thanks Zane, but I was really just watching,"

"Oh, I see. Still, I believe that Sensei Wu would want us to train while we wait."

"Really, it's fine. I practice a lot at home, so . . ." Technically this was true, though he didn't get much opportunity to practice without his father seeing.

Zane nodded. "That's alright, then. I will just practice by myself." Guilt gnawed at Cole as he watched Zane move off to another area and start going through a series of motions by himself. Maybe he should have agreed to help Zane. But there was just something about him that made Cole uncomfortable. He always took things literally, and that made it hard to joke with him. And the way he would stand in the background sometimes and just watch everything, it wasn't normal.

When Wu arrived, Cole tried to shove the thoughts aside so he could focus on the lesson. He noticed their sensei's eyes flit from Zane to the other three, and Cole was worried that he might get angry for not letting him join them. But he said nothing as they assemble in front of him, and their lesson began.

Cole had suspected that Jay and Kai felt the same way about Zane that he did, but with a bit of remorse lingering in the back of Cole's mind, he was noticing it more today. At one point, when Jay tried to make conversation with him, Zane turned it from casual to rather formal, and their banter quickly died out. And when Kai make a joke to Cole, Zane cut in, clearly not understanding the point of the joke, or that it was a joke at all. Kai silently pointed at Zane and made a cuckoo motion with his hand. Cole didn't laugh.

Finally, when they were done, Cole found that he was relieved, for once, to be leaving. But sensei Wu stopped them before they could go. "Kai, Jay, Cole. I would like to speak with you three." Cole felt his face burn with shame as he approached his teacher. He had hoped Wu would forget about what he saw earlier, but it seemed he hadn't.

"Would any of you care to explain to me why you have been ignoring Zane?"

The three boys exchanged glances before Kai spoke up for them. "Sensei, Zane's . . . weird." He kept his voice low so it wouldn't echo on the cavernous walls and reach Zane's ears.

Their teacher glared at them, making the boys shrink back. "What is 'weird'?" he asked sternly. "Someone who is different, or someone who is different than you?"

"No, Sensei, he's _weird_ weird," Cole explained, feeling a little defensive.

"We like the guy," Kai added hurriedly. "He's really smart, he's just . . . a little off sometimes."

"Zane is a brother. And brothers are often different. I should know."

"Do you have a brother?" Jay asked curiously, all traces of fear gone.

Wu was silent for a moment. The only thing that could be heard was the crackling fire of the torches. Cole threw a glance over his shoulder to see that Zane was meditating. He didn't think he'd ever seen a kid meditate before.

"Zane come here," Wu called. Zane hopped up and walked over to join them. "Sit," their sensei commanded, and they formed a half circle in front of him.

Wu kneeled and laid his staff across his knees. "I do have a brother," he began solemnly. "Or rather, I used to. He is still alive, but he has not been a brother to me for many years."

"What'd he do?" Jay prodded. All of their eyes were wide and they leaned forward on the hard floor with interest.

Wu remained silent for another moment, thoughtful, as if events from his past were playing through his mind. Finally, he continued with a hint of resentment, "My brother has always thought he was better than me, and he was always my father's favorite. My father couldn't see him for what he truly was, so my father entrusted him with weapons of great power. In the wrong hands, they could be very dangerous. My brother intended to use them for himself. So I planned to take them away from him, but when he found out, he became angry and banished me here."

"Banished? Is that why . . . ." Cole trailed off as a few things about their sensei began making more sense.

Wu nodded. "That is why I can never leave this place, and why my appearance is not so pleasant to look at. But more importantly, it is why I chose to take you four under my wing and give you someplace where your skills would be appreciated, where you can learn to defend yourselves and the people who are good to you. As I told you, brothers are often different. My brother allowed that to tear us apart. I expect you four to make each other stronger."

Cole exchanged a glance with Kai and Jay, and he could see his guilt reflected in their expressions. Wu got back to his feet. "It's time you all went home. Consider what I've told you today, and I expect that tomorrow will be better." He looked pointedly at the three before walking away as the portal opened up behind them.

* * *

Garmadon and Misako had finally decided on what they wanted to do with the golden weapons: Garmadon would hide them all across Ninjago with beastly guardians to keep them safe and a single map to reveal their locations in case they were ever needed again. Now that the preparations had been made, it was time to carry the weapons to their new homes.

Of course, Misako and Lloyd were going to come with him. They planned to travel together on foot to towns near each location, where wife and son would stay while Garmadon made the more dangerous journey to hide the weapons. It was going to be a long trip, but Garmadon was just thankful for the company.

All packed and ready to start the journey, Garmadon waited for his wife at the front doors of the monastery amongst all the luggage. His son, almost two years old now, was still very tired from his nap and was starting to fall asleep again on Garmadon's shoulder.

The burdened man sighed to himself. He couldn't look at his own son anymore without thinking of the weight that he carried, too. Ever since Misako had told him what she'd discovered about the prophecy, Garmadon couldn't help but feel responsible for dragging both of them into all this. After all, it was his family line that seemed to be forever cursed to battle between good and evil. Little Lloyd's destiny and anything that happened as a result came from his father. If he had known this was going to happen, he never would have brought a child into this world with such a fate.

Garmadon was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of his wife crossing the courtyard toward them. "All ready?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I think so. Have you double-checked that we have everything like I asked?"

"Of course, of course," Garmadon reassured her.

But instead of looking reassured, Misako frowned. "Then where are the shurikens?"

Garmadon followed her gaze to where the weapons had been lain out on a cloth to be wrapped up for easy carrying. Or rather, the sword, the scythe, and the nunchucks were. "They should be right here," he mumbled, glancing at the surrounding mess for any sign of them.

"Uh-oh," Lloyd exclaimed, suddenly more awake. "Daddy loss'em!"

Misako held out her arms. "Go on and look," she said, nodding back towards the monastery.

Garmadon resentfully handed her Lloyd, knowing that she was probably right, as always. As he hurried back up the steps and through the sliding doors, Misako smiled and shook her head.

"What are we going to do with him?" she asked the toddler.

"Timeout?" Lloyd suggested helpfully.

Misako laughed. "I think you might have the right idea."


	11. The Challenge

Zane was starting to feel more and more welcome with his new friends all the time. Whereas in his village, Zane would usually stand out for being different, here he didn't feel that there was any unnecessary attention drawn to him and he could fade comfortably in the background. He enjoyed the presence of Kai, Cole, and Jay. Every day he would learn something new, and every day he was beginning to realize how much he enjoyed this training.

On one such day, Wu announced to the boys that he was going to present them with a new challenge.

"One of the most important things that you will have to learn is how to work as a team. It does not matter how strong or how skilled you are, if you cannot function as one, you will not be able to win. So, to test your ability to cooperate with one another, I will grant this opportunity: from now on, each day before we start training, the four of you will have the chance to fight me."

Zane's eyes widened, and when he glimpsed the others, he could see his own shock reflected on their faces. Here, they had only just begun, and now they were going to go up against their own teacher?

"If you manage to land a single blow," Wu continued, "then you will be permitted to move on to the next stage of your training. Until then, we will continue going over basic hand-to-hand combat. I'll allow you to devise a strategy," he said as he turned and walked a few paces away to give them space.

The four boys huddled together, though Zane didn't think there was much for them to discuss. Surely it would be impossible to defeat their own teacher?

"Ideas?" Cole whispered.

"I think we should all rush him at the same time," Kai suggested. "He can't fight all of us at the once!"

Cole shook his head. "He'd totally be expecting that!"

Jay threw a glance at their sensei to make sure he wasn't listening in on them. "Maybe three of us can distract him while the other one tries to attack him from behind."

"Wouldn't he notice if he can see only three of us?" Zane pointed out. "Then he would expect the fourth to attack."

Cole nodded. "That's true. So what do you suggest, Zane?"

"I think that, since this is a test, we are not meant to succeed yet, and that no matter what we do, we will fail. At this point in our training, it would be impossible for us to surprise our own sensei. The best thing to do is to get an idea of how he reacts to our attacks, to study him so that we can be better prepared for next time. Since none of us have seen him fight before, we don't actually know what we are up against."

Kai rolled his eyes. "It's not impossible. Not if we come up with the right plan. Why would he give us the challenge if we weren't ready?"

"Perhaps to motivate us to train harder." Zane offered.

"I still say we all go at him at once."

"That won't work!" Cole protested.

Kai frowned. "Then what's your bright idea?"

Cole was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the ground. When he looked back up, he admitted, "I haven't thought of one yet."

"Dude, we don't have all day!" Kai crossed his arms. "Well, we're supposed to be working as a team, right? So why don't we put it to a vote? All those in favor of waiting for Cole to think of something –" Cole glowered at Kai, and Zane contemplated whether this really qualified as teamwork or not.

When no one raised their hands, Kai continued, "And all those in favor of _my_ plan –" He raised his own hand, looking at Zane and Jay expectantly. Seeing as they didn't have very many options, Zane and Jay raised their hands as well.

"Fine," Cole grumbled. "But don't be surprised when it fails."

Kai ignored him. "We're ready to start, sensei! Spread out around him and wait for my signal," he instructed the others, and they did as he said, moving into position around their teacher.

Wu stood and waited for them to make the first move. The boys focused on their individual plans of attack as they awaited Kai's signal.

"Now!"

All four boys rushed forward at once, fists raised to strike. Wu didn't move until the last moment, at which point he rolled out of the way and four heads bashed together before they could realize he was gone.

Rubbing his sore head, Kai saw that their sensei had gotten away. "Come on!" he shouted to the others, apparently still determined to make his plan work. He charged toward Wu, but as soon as he attempted to strike, Wu caught his fist and twisted his arm, then struck him in the chest. Kai landed on hard his back. Cole took Wu's being distracted as an opportunity. He attempted a kick, though he didn't really know how to execute it properly, so Wu was easily able to unbalance him and throw him to the ground as well.

Jay and Zane promptly succeeded Cole, but even with two of them, Wu seemed to have no problem dodging their attacks. He ducked and swept one leg under their feet, putting them out of commission as well. Kai gave it one last valiant effort, but was harshly elbowed in the nose. At that point, they had no choice but to admit defeat.

"Is that it?" Wu asked disapprovingly as he looked around at his students. Kai's nose had begun bleeding and Cole was cradling his hand which had been cut when he landed on the stone floor.

"With all due respect, sensei," Zane said, rubbing his sore neck, "We have hardly learned anything yet. It has only been a couple weeks."

"It's not fair," Jay added. "You're way better than us!"

"That may be so, but I expect you to put up more of a fight in the future. Even if you are outmatched, you don't get to give up just because it's difficult."

The boys exchanged glances. Zane couldn't be sure what the others were thinking, but he personally considered this lesson bit harsh. What more could they do when defeat was inevitable? Nonetheless, the four boys answered in unison, "Yes, sensei."

As he pushed himself up off the ground, Zane sighed to himself. Perhaps Wu was right. After all, he was the teacher, and they the students. He knew much more about this kind of thing than they did. Still, Zane didn't see why it mattered so much. They had given it their best effort. What more did he want from them?


	12. Door of Consequence

Kai had quickly lost track of how many days, or rather, how many weeks now that he and the others had been training under Wu. All he knew was that they were improving. And every day they fought their sensei, it seemed like they got closer to landing a blow. Kai was even enjoying seeing the others every day. He might have even called them his friends.

One day, they were not surprised to find that Wu absent when they arrived. He was late sometimes, and they would simply practice with each other while they waited for him. But this time, it took so long that they eventually got bored of sparring. After what seemed to him like hours of waiting, Kai paused his pacing and asked, "Is he ever going to come?"

"I believe that Sensei would want us to be patient," Zane reminded him from where he sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Do you think that something happened to him?" Jay wondered aloud. He sat near Zane, leaning back on his hands while he studied Wu's throne.

"To him?" Cole asked incredulously. He was lying on his back, gazing at the craggy ceiling. "Nah, he's too good of a fighter, no one could touch him."

Jay shrugged. "He's never been late before. And he always gets on to us about being on time. It must be something serious." Then his eyes widened and he gasped. "What if his brother got him!"

"Or he fell asleep," Kai suggested.

"I guess it could be something like that," Jay admitted, but he wasn't convinced.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Kai stated, grinning. He strode toward the large pair of doors looming on the other side of the room. "Why don't we just go see for ourselves?"

"No, Kai," Cole said sternly. "We're not allowed to go through those doors."

"Come on, if Sensei really did fall asleep or something, I don't think he'd mind if we let him know that we're here. And if he really is in trouble, we can help him." Kai didn't think it was likely that their teacher was in any trouble, but even so, he thought about how proud Wu would be if they came to his rescue.

"I don't know," Jay said, wincing at the thought of their teacher's wrath.

"Don't be such scaredy-cats!" Kai teased them. "Aren't you curious to see what the rest of this place is like? Even if we just take a peek, he'll never know. Besides, it's like you said, Jay, there could be something wrong. We really should check."

Still, the other three hesitated.

Kai crept towards the door. "I'm getting closer to the door!" he announced. "Is anyone going to stop me?"

Finally, Jay stood up. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

Kai nodded, certain that they wouldn't be caught. "Yeah, sure."

Zane was quick to follow Jay, and now Cole stood up too. "Seriously Kai, you'd better not."

Kai didn't listen, but dramatically put his hand on the handle.

"Kai!" Cole ran forward, half wanting to stop him, half wanting to help him. But before he could make a choice, Kai yanked the door open.

All four boys cried out in shock at what they saw: two living skeletons, big and sporting thick armor and sharp weapons, with dark, bottomless sockets for eyes and red pupils – and they appeared to be in the middle of a game of Rock Paper Scissors.

The skeletons, too voiced their surprise.

"Hey, you can't do that!" the one with an eye patch exclaimed.

"Get back in there," the other demanded.

But then a third voice sounded behind the boys. " _What_ do you think you're doing?"

The boys whipped around to see their sensei standing exactly where he _hadn't_ been a moment ago. The skeletons quickly shut the door with a resounding _clang!_ leaving the boys alone with Wu.

There was a brief moment of silence before Jay pointed to Kai. "It was his idea!"

"I, uh, you were gone for so long!" Kai exclaimed, his mind racing with excuses. "We were just going to check if you were okay!"

"I told you to _never_ open those doors," Wu growled.

"I tried to tell him, sensei," Cole interjected, but Wu didn't look any kinder on him.

Silence fell again as Wu examined his students with those burning, red eyes. The boys tried to stand tall, but trembled under his gaze, fearing their punishment.

"Your disobedience will cost you."

Kai stepped forward, head hanging. He'd made a promise to take responsibility if they were caught, and he intended to honor it, no matter the consequences. "It really was all my fault. I wanted to see what was out there and I talked them into it. And I'm the one who opened the door." He would probably be banned from ever coming back again, a fair punishment.

Without warning, Wu whacked Kai on the head with his staff. The boy yelped in surprise, but otherwise made no sound.

"A noble effort, Kai," Wu hissed. "But _they_ should have been able to talk _you_ out of it. It is not impressive that they could be so easily manipulated by a fool."

The others said nothing, too afraid. Wu looked them over again, his stare hard and unnerving. The boys waited for his verdict, afraid as to what it might be. Finally, he announced, "As punishment for your actions, your training will be postponed for two days."

Their reactions were exactly what Wu had hoped. They slumped and groaned in frustration, but none of them dared to object. "You brought this on yourselves," he said, eyeing Kai. The boy held a hand to his head and wouldn't look him in the eye. Wu was satisfied that he had gotten his point across.

Cole tentatively raised his hand and Wu nodded for him to speak.

"Sensei, we know that what we did was wrong. But will you please tell us: What is this place, and what's out there?"

Wu shook his head. "That is a story for another time. But rest assured, those two you saw serve me, and they will not harm you." He opened up a portal behind them. "Now leave, and I will see you again in two days' time. Perhaps then you can attempt to redeem yourselves."


	13. How to be a Leader

The boys did not soon forget their ill-conceived attempt to leave the room that they always trained in, nor their punishment for it. Wu couldn't forget either, and he had begun watching the boys closely. It was clear that they needed a designated leader, someone to keep them out of trouble when he wasn't around, someone with his approval whom they had to obey. Otherwise they just argued and never agreed on anything together.

Kai was clearly too impulsive. He learned quickly, but he didn't always follow orders. Wu would have to work on him for a while yet before he could trust the boy in a leadership position. Jay, on the other hand, was more of a follower. He didn't hold up well under stress. The young ice ninja seemed like a good choice, though. He did as he was told and was cool under pressure. However, he lacked the imagination necessary to account for unanticipated situations.

Finally, Cole, eager to please and equally independent, he usually stood out as the one to attempt to take charge. He lacked experience, which could be fixed in time, though his biggest problem was that the others didn't always want to listen to him. He hadn't quite gained their respect, least of all from Kai, so he could never hold their attention for very long.

Wu had been thinking long and hard about how to test once and for all who would be the best leader, and he had decided that the simplest solution would be the best.

"Cole," he called as the boys were doing their stretches before the training session. He nodded the boy over. "I want to speak with you. Privately."

"Ooh," Kai and Jay sing-songed in unison.

Wu lowered his voice so the others wouldn't overhear. "I trust that you are enjoying what you learn here?" he started conversationally.

"It beats dancing, that's for sure," Cole grumbled bitterly. "I mean, yes, Sensei. It's been great."

"I'm glad you think so. Recently I have been paying extra attention to you, Cole. You're growing stronger every day, and I can see your resolve to improve."

"Thank you, Sensei," the boy answered, obviously surprised.

"And yet, your brothers do not respect your authority. You tell them what to do, and they ignore what you have to say."

Cole lowered his gaze and shrugged. "They'd rather listen to Kai."

"And why do you think that is?"

"I dunno. Because Jay and Zane like him better? Because he doesn't listen to anyone?"

"Because he commands respect. He makes them want to listen by making them believe that he is the best among all of you. Cole, you have the potential to be the best, but you must command respect.  _Make_ them listen to you."

"H-how do I do that?"

"Do what Kai does – don't take 'no' for an answer."

Wu then ushered him back to the others. Cole assumed that they would return back to their regular routine, but then Wu said, "Today, you will be sparring against one another. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your own teammates if you are to work together as a whole. I will split you up into two teams. Jay and Zane versus Cole and Kai."

Cole groaned to himself. Of course. Now Cole would have to try and put what Sensei Wu had told him into practice.

The two teams separated on either side of the center isle to discuss their strategies. "Alright, just follow my lead," Kai was saying. "Those two don't stand a chance. You get Jay and I'll get Zane. They won't even see what hit 'em."

Cole sucked in a deep breath. "Actually, I have a different plan."

Kai scoffed. "Your plans are no good. They're too complicated. Besides, this is pretty straightforward, what else could we do?"

Cole crossed his arms and said with as much authority as he could muster, "Well, for starters, I think you paired us up wrong. It would make more sense if you fought Jay and I fought Zane."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Does it matter?"

"If we want to win, it does."

Kai cocked an eyebrow, looking at Cole with suspicion. "You think I can't take Zane?"

"I know you can't," Cole shot back. "He thinks ahead and is always ready for whatever you throw at him. He could take you down easily."

"Oh, but you think you could beat him?"

"I could!"

"You think you're better than me?"

Cole clenched his fists. "Maybe," he growled. He didn't want this turning into a fight – that wasn't at all what Sensei Wu had told him to do. But he just couldn't make Kai listen!

Kai scoffed. That's what I thought. Like I said, I'll take Zane and you take Jay. It'll be easy, you'll see."

"No."

Kai gave him a sidelong glance. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting Cole to hold his ground. "Look, Sensei's not going to be happy if we can't settle on a plan soon."

"We're  _not_  doing your plan, we're doing  _my_  plan!" Cole said, his voice rising with his anger. "Can't you just for once try something someone else's way?"

"Not if you're wrong," Kai teased.

Cole was at a loss. He didn't know how he was supposed to get through to Kai. It seemed absolutely hopeless. Cole looked to Wu for help. Their teacher had been standing at a distance and was already looking right at him. He had probably been watching the whole argument.

At that moment, Wu broke eye contact and announced, "Take your positions."

"Come on," Kai said, preparing to charge at his opponents. "Just do what I say and we'll win this, you'll see."

_Don't take 'no' for an answer._  Wu's words rang in Cole's mind as he followed his teammate. There was no way he was going to convince Kai. That kid was just too stubborn. But he wasn't going to let Kai keep doing whatever he wanted, either.

As soon as Wu commanded them to start, Cole shoved Kai aside before he could move, and then raced forward to meet Zane with a swinging fist. Zane ducked before he could strike and hit Cole in the chest.

Cole stumbled backwards but quickly regained his footing. He was about to make another move when he was suddenly yanked backwards by the collar of his gi. He fell on the floor this time. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked up to see Kai standing over him.

Of course Kai wasn't going to go down easily. There was only one way to get through to him and that was with equal stubbornness.

With a furious roar, Cole tackled Kai to the ground. The two boys wrestled while their teacher looked on. With a furious roar, Cole tackled Kai to the ground. The two boys wrestled while their teacher looked on. Jay and Zane hurriedly backed away, surprised when Wu didn't put a stop to it immediately.

Cole was trying to hold Kai down, but his opponent wasn't going to let him win so easily. Kai kicked at Cole, forcing him off. He then scrambled back to his feet for a better advantage. He tried hitting Cole again, but Cole threw up his arms to block until he found a chance to land a hit. They exchanged blows until Cole dodged swiftly to the side. He then grabbed Kai around the neck, putting him in a chokehold.

"Give up, Kai!" he shouted. "You're not going to boss me around anymore!"

"Let me go!" Kai yelled in answer.

"Admit that I'm better than you!"

Kai only growled and continued to squirm in Cole's grip.

"Say it!"

Wu chose that moment to intervene. "Let him go," he commanded.

Cole looked up in surprise and a wave of shame washed over him. He released Kai.

The boy stumbled forward before he whipped around, fury burning in his eyes. Cole prepared to defend himself again when Wu hit the floor with his staff and said, "Enough!" He moved forward to stand in between them.

Cole felt like a fool. Sensei had given him a simple task, and just look at the mess he'd made! He'd always tried to keep out of trouble, but now he'd gone and lost his temper. He could only imagine what kind of punishment Sensei had in mind.

"You've done enough to prove that you are the best, Cole, I trust there is no need for him to say so." Both boys looked up at their Sensei in shock.

"But Sensei – but – I," Cole spluttered helplessly, unable to understand the satisfaction in his teacher's eyes. Surely he should be angry at Cole for starting the fight?

Sensei Wu ignored his confusion, turning an angry gaze on his other student. "Kai," he began sternly. "Your stubbornness will get you nowhere. Not while you still have so much to learn. Your arrogance has blinded you to your own faults and kept you from moving forward. You are a foolish boy, and that pitiful display proves it." Cole winced, feeling that Wu was being a little harsh. He personally felt that Kai had put up a decent fight. He could already feel the bruises forming.

Much to Cole's astonishment, Kai didn't say anything. He lowered his gaze. The anger was still there, but held back by something else.

"Well done, Cole," Sensei Wu said as he returned his attention to his winning pupil. "You commanded respect, and in doing so, proved to me that you are the right choice to lead this team."

"What?" Cole gasped, overwhelmed by his master's generous praise.

"What?" Kai echoed, the fire of his fury igniting again.

"I've decided its time you boys had an official leader. Someone to guide you all when I can't." He looked pointedly at Kai who wouldn't look him in the eye. "You are not to question his orders. Is that understood?" He raised his voice to address all of them.

Jay and Zane swiftly replied, "Yes, sensei."

Kai bowed his head. "Yes, sensei," he mumbled.

"And you," Wu said to Cole, the warmth suddenly gone, "will answer to me for your brothers' actions. So you had better keep a firm grip. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei," Cole breathed, equally honored and anxious. His gaze flickered to Kai, who was glaring at him, and Cole wondered just how difficult this would be.


	14. How to be a Team

Garmadon stood on the outskirts of a small village in eastern Ninjago. He had the Scythe of Quakes strapped to his back, and his toddler son in his arms. He kissed Lloyd on the top of his little blond head. It was still a long way to the Caves of Despair, where Garmadon planned to travel alone to hide the golden scythe. And even then, he didn't know how long it would be before he found the guardian. It could be a while before he saw his family again.

"Now, you be good for your mother," Garmadon instructed.

Lloyd grinned. "No!" That was becoming one of his favorite words lately.

Garmadon looked at him as seriously as he could manage. "No? Why you little –" Little Lloyd squealed as his father held him tight and began tickling him all over. Lloyd squirmed and laughed, but was powerless against his father.

When Garmadon finally relented, Lloyd reached up in an attempt to tickle him back, but only managed to scratch his neck. Garmadon pretended to cringe in response. "Oh no you don't!" he said as he passed the boy back to his mother. Ruffling his hair, he added, "I'll see you soon, Lloyd."

"Where you going?"

Garmadon sighed. He and Misako had already tried multiple times to explain in as simple of terms as they could, but of course Lloyd couldn't grasp the whole situation yet. "I won't be far. And I won't be gone too long."

"Good luck," Misako said, but he could see that she was troubled.

"I'll be back soon," he said, trying to soothe her.

"I know. It's just that we don't know how much time we have left. Who knows when Wu could come back? I just hope that if we can get the weapons out of his reach, then maybe . . ." and Garmadon could found his own fears reflected in her eyes.

"I know you're scared for our son," he said, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I am, too. But we can't waste the precious time that have on worrying. Lloyd is safe right now, and that's what matters most. We'll prepare him as best we can, but we'll have to let him face his destiny on his own. Whether that's battling his crazed uncle or protecting the weapons. He'll be alright, Koko, you'll see." Garmadon pulled her closer for a hug.

"I want to believe you," was all she said.

Garmadon smiled in spite of himself. "With any luck, I'll be back in just a few days."

"We'll be here," she said and returned his smile with one of her own that he felt could sustain him for a lifetime.

As he began to walk away, he turned back to wave. Misako and Lloyd waved enthusiastically back. When he got a little farther, he turned back to wave again. But soon, they were out of sight and he found himself on the outskirts of the village. Before much longer, even that had faded away behind him.

Legends about the Caves of Despair told of a beast that made its home there. The caves had once been used by the nearby town for mining, but the appearance of this beast had driven away everyone in the area. Now it was abandoned, declared cursed. People avoided it at all costs. It was the perfect place to hide something you didn't want people looking for.

Of course, Garmadon knew the truth behind the legends. He planned on using the beast to help him with his mission. This was the best plan that he and Misako had could come up with. He just hoped it would work.

It was about a day's walk from the village to the caves. Garmadon trekked through the forest, carrying nothing but a pack of supplies and his father's staff. The path to the mines was still well worn, so he needed only to follow it. His mind was plagued with the weight of his mission. What if something went wrong? But he breathed in deeply and allowed the sounds of the forest to soothe him.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, Garmadon saw a hill rising up ahead on the edge of the forest. As he drew nearer, he could see holes dotting the far side where the mines had originally been dug. It was entirely deserted. The wind blew over the openings in the earth, creating an unearthly chorus of howls. Dust blew across the hollow, but otherwise there was no movement or sign of life.

Garmadon set up camp in the midst of the hollow. He gathered up some dry wood and started a fire, made himself a meal, and as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, he sat and meditated.

He didn't know how long he waited, but the moon was high in the sky when he started out of his meditation. A portal had opened one the ground near the caves, like a giant sinkhole. An earth-shaking roar preceded some large beast that then shot up out of the portal, its wings spread wide as it rose and blotted out the moon. It hovered there for a moment, then dived back towards the earth. Garmadon stood to watch in awe as the dragon reeled above the hollow, gliding on the breeze and then dropping low to stir up the ground with its breath.

Garmadon raised one hand and waved to catch the beast's attention. As soon as it saw him, the dragon soared nearer, circled him a few times as if to gauge whether or not he was a threat, and then swooped down for a landing.

The large beast stood before Garmadon, regarding him with some wariness. But it allowed him to approach and rest a palm on its clay colored nose. Its scales were rough under his fingers. "I need your help," he said softly. "Ninjago is in danger, and it's up to me to protect everyone. But I can't do it alone."

The earth dragon leaned into his palm and exhaled, releasing its steamy breath through its nostrils to wash over the young sensei. Garmadon smiled.

His brother would return for the weapons, he knew, but Wu wouldn't have an easy time retrieving them. He would have to search for them, he would have to fight for them, but that would only give Garmadon more time to stop him. He really wouldn't be able to do this alone. But with the right help, maybe the weapons would stay hidden, and Ninjago – and his son, for that matter – could stay safe.

* * *

At first, Jay had been jealous that Cole had been chosen as the leader – he hadn't even known that Wu was looking for a leader, so it seemed unfair to him. But now that everyone had their eyes on Cole, brimming with expectation, Jay was relieved it wasn't him.

"So what's the plan, O'wise leader?" Kai asked. They were about to make another attempt to face their Sensei in combat, and of course now everyone expected Cole to lead them to victory. Wu had promised that if they managed to land even one hit, then they would be allowed to advance in their training. But so far they hadn't been able to do that even once.

Cole rocked back on his heels. "Well . . . I was thinking you guys could tell me what you think . . . a good leader listens to his followers, right?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "You don't have a plan, do you? And don't call us your followers, we're only looking at you because Sensei said we had to."

"Okay, fine, I don't have a plan yet, but I'll think of something!" Cole looked to Wu and Jay followed his gaze. Their sensei was meditating, appearing as if he couldn't care when they came up with a plan, though Jay knew that if they didn't come up with something soon, he'd get angry.

"He has anticipated everything we've tried before," Zane pointed out.

Jay nodded. "It's not a lot of fun getting our butts kicked all the time."

"Come on, don't be such a downer." Kai said as he lightly punched Zane on the arm. "So he's kicked our butts  _a few_  times. But we'll get it right eventually. We can't keep losing forever."

"'A few' is a drastic understatement," Zane corrected. "But are you trying to imply that, statistically speaking, we are bound to win eventually, either by mistake or by luck?"

Kai snickered. "You sound just like my sister. Sure, I guess that's what I mean."

Zane blinked once as he seemed to consider Kai's argument. "Your reasoning is sound. Although the probability is minuscule, I will agree to hold out hope for our success."

Kai grinned. "Smart one agrees with me! That means I'm right."

"Guys, focus!" Cole scolded them.

"Have you finally decided on something?"

"I think so." Cole turned his gaze on Jay. "You're the fastest."

"Me?" Jay said in surprise. "I mean, yeah, sure. Of course."

"We'll distract Sensei Wu while you get behind him and try to hit him," Cole explained.

"But we've tried that before," Jay protested. "He's not surprised by anything!"

"And he's very good at keeping all of us within his eyesight," Zane added.

"I bet he's got eyes in the back of his head," Kai said ominously.

"Don't worry about, Jay. I've noticed that sometimes when he dodges he'll just step out of the way so that you stumble right past him. If you try and hit him, and then pretend to stumble when he dodges, you can get behind . Then the rest of us can keep him occupied so that you have a chance to hit him. But you'll have to be really  _really_  fast, before he notices. Think you can do that?"

Jay wasn't so sure about it, but he nodded anyway. Sensei Wu had singled Cole out for a reason. Jay trusted Wu, so he must be able to trust Cole, too.

"Everyone understand?" They all nodded. Cole turned to Wu and called, "We're ready!"

As their sensei got to his feet, the boys formed a line of attack. Jay tried to focus on his own piece of the strategy. He really didn't want to mess it up and let everyone down.

"Go!" When Cole gave the signal, the boys rushed their sensei at once. Wu didn't have any problem fending off all four of them at once. Jay was always amazed at how fast he could dodge and deflect their attacks. He wouldn't have thought that anyone could think or move that fast. Even as he blocked a hit from Kai, he was able to dodge one of Jay's punches in the same instant.

But what was worse was that all of them attacking at once made it hard to coordinate and work around each other. Even with a strategy, it was hard to keep from getting running into each other.

Jay gasped as he was by Cole suddenly getting in his way. He pulled up just in time to avoid running into the other boy.  _Come on, Jay_ , he thought to himself.  _You've got this!_

Jay stayed back and looked for an opening. He would have to go at Wu in just the right way so that he would let Jay past. With a shout to called attention to himself, Jay ran at Wu and attempted to punch him in the side. Wu dodged just as Cole said he would, and Jay ran right past him, ended up right Wu's blind spot.

Still, Wu would know he was there, so he had to be careful and not waste his opportunity.

Cole seemed to realize that Jay was in place. "Now!" Cole, Kai and Zane of them released a flurry of simultaneous attacks. Wu was occupied trying to fend them off so Jay whirled around with a roundhouse kick. Hisis foot connected with Wu's back, and the older man to stagger a bit.

The others immediately withdrew, eyes wide.

Jay was also gaping, dumbstruck. "I did it! I did – _oomf!"_ Jay's celebration was cut short when Wu retaliate with a kick that sent the boy flying across the room. Jay skidded to a stop on the hard floor. He groaned as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Never stop to celebrate," Wu scolded. "Your opponnent will strike as soon as your guard is down."

"Hey!" Kai protested. "He won fair and square!"

"Indeed you have finally beaten my challenge," said Wu. "But that does not give him an excuse to let down his guard." Then he turned to Jay. "Congratulations. Now you can all move on to the next stage of your training."

Jay grinned and forgot all about his teacher's harshness as the other boys ran to give him their enthusiastic praise . Jay glowed with pride. For once in his life he really felt like a hero.


	15. How to be a Family

One day, Kai was inexplicably absent from training. Everyone thought it was strange, and Zane was admittedly a little worried about his friend, because Kai had never been known to miss even a single training session yet. Wu didn't seem so much worried as angry when, after they'd gone through their whole routine and the lesson ended, Kai still hadn't shown himself. The boys decided that they ought to try and find out what had happened to their friend.

Jay and Zane shoved Cole forward. "You're the leader. Ask him!" Jay hissed. Neither of them were eager to see their teacher's reaction if he refused their request, so it only made sense that Cole should take the fall if need be.

"Um, Sensei?" Cole said anxiously.

Wu said nothing but raised a single eyebrow.

"The three of us were hoping that you might let us go and see Kai so we can find out why he didn't come today." Zane suspected that Cole wasn't really as concerned as him and Jay. He may have even been relieved, due to their recent rivalry, to have had a break. Still, Cole continued: "We're a little worried that something might have happened to him . . ." Cole trailed off, seeing the fire in his sensei's eyes.

But then Wu's gaze softened somewhat as he considered their request. "Yes," he nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should find out what was so important that he could not join us today."

A portal appeared, much like the ones they had become so accustomed to. "Go. Find him."

They dashed through without hesitation and emerged to find themselves standing on a stone path winding up grassy hill. At the end of the path was a lone house.

"That must be where Kai lives," Jay observed.

Cole nodded. "Come on guys, it's time to put all our training to use. Let's make Sensei proud!"

Zane followed Cole's lead as he crept towards the house, crouching behind large rocks and bushes alongside the path. As they approached, the house seemed eerily quiet.

Jay suddenly whispered, "What if he's not home?"

"Then we'll still have something to tell Sensei," Cole answered. "Now shush!"

Instead of a door, the house a large opening in the front, and next to it, a window. The boys snuck closer and crouched beneath the window. They peeked inside, but it appeared to be empty.

"What now?" asked Zane.

"We'll check the back, and if he's not there, then we'll have to go."

The boys crept around the corner to a yard enclosed by a stone wall. There was a round space removed from the wall to serve as a doorway. When the boys looked inside, they saw Kai sitting beneath a crooked tree, his arms wrapped around his knees and his forehead resting on his arms. Zane took note of the white shirt he wore, which was a stark contrast to the black gis they would wear during training.

"Kai!" Jay whispered.

Kai's head shot up and he glanced in their direction before turning away. "Go away!" he hissed.

"You were not at training today so we needed to come see that you are okay," Zane tried to explain.

"I'm fine, just go away!"

Zane took a step into the garden. "Please, Kai, we're your friends. "If there is something wrong –"

"I already told you, there's nothing wrong!" he snapped, his back still turned to them. "Now get out of here before someone sees you!"

Zane considered obeying his request, but something told him that they couldn't leave yet. Instead, Zane drew nearer and knelt beside his friend. He placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You don't have to speak if you don't want to." Zane waved Jay and Cole closer. They looked unsure at first, but relented and sat beside him. "We would just like to stay with you for a little while."

Now that he was closer, Zane could see what Kai was trying to hide: he had been crying. Zane decided that it might be best not to speak for a little while. Thankfully, Cole and Jay stayed silent as well. They shifted awkwardly in the grass, unsure of themselves, but Zane did his best to remain a firm and comforting presence. Occasionally, Kai would wipe his sleeve across his face. He couldn't hide the tears anymore.

Then the back door to the house jiggled. The three visitors shot to their feet and dove for cover. Zane scurried up a tree while Jay jumped into a bush and Cole darted around the other side of the stone fence. Zane watched from above as a young girl cracked open the door and peaked outside.

"Kai?" she called quietly across the yard.

"Go away," he said with as much hostility as before.

The girl was quiet for a moment. "Can I sit with you?"

"Go find Dad or something. Just leave me alone."

"But –"

"Go  _away_!"

The girl scurried back inside, and Zane felt a pang of guilt for being part of the reason that Kai had sent her away like that. After a few seconds, the boys decided that it was safe and crept back out of their hiding places.

"Who was that?" Zane asked.

"Just my sister," Kai mumbled.

Cole looked like he was about to speak, and Zane suspected he suspected he was about to suggest that they leave. So Zane sat down again before he could say anything. "Kai, I sense that there is something very wrong," Zane started again. "As your friends, we would like to hear about your problems and help if we can. We promise that we will not mock you or think any less of you."

"There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do!" Kai wiped another tear away.

Cole, at least, seemed to get the idea that they weren't leaving any time soon. "But you can talk to us about it," he chimed in. "Talking about things helps you feel better."

"But if you don't want to –" Zane stopped mid-sentence when Kai slammed his fists on the ground.

"You don't understand!" Zane simply put an arm around Kai's shoulder and the distressed boy broke down and started sobbing.

Cole and Jay were clearly out of their element, but nonetheless, they huddled around Kai. All traces of their conflict gone, Cole was doing his best to be supportive.

"She's gone," Kai said between sobs, "My mother, she's . . . she's . . ."

"You don't have to say it," Zane told him. They all understood without him having to voice the difficult truth.

"I'm so sorry, Kai," Cole said. "I know how hard that is."

Kai looked up through watery eyes.

"My mom is . . . gone, too." Cole answered before he could ask. Cole hesitated. "I lost her when I was really young, so I don't remember her very well. But sometimes it still feels like something's missing. I don't know, it's probably not as bad," he hurriedly added.

"Of course it is," Kai said with a shaky voice, rubbing his eye again.

"I myself cannot remember either of my parents," said Zane. "See, brother, you're not alone."

"Wow," Kai said, still wiping his eyes dry with his shirt sleeve. "I had no idea. "

Cole shook his head. "It's not like it's a competition. You have a right to be upset."

Jay was fidgeting with the material with his gi when he finally spoke up. "So, um, you guys can stay here, but I think maybe I should go back and tell Sensei not to be angry and that we found Kai."

"No, Jay. Kai needs us right now," Zane objected. "All of us."

Kai gave a little nod. "I'd like that . . . if you all stayed . . . Just for a little while . . ." He looked to Jay.

"Mm, okay." Jay turned back to the house. "I'll just keep a lookout, then."

"Thanks." They all went quiet again. Zane still had a comforting arm around Kai. After a little while, Kai said, "You can be leader if you want, Cole."

"What?" Cole asked, surprised. Then he realized what Kai was talking about and answered, "Oh, I didn't really want to be leader at first. But Sensei said he thinks I'd be good at it."

"Well, I don't care anymore. Sensei Wu was probably right, anyway," Kai mumbled bitterly.

Zane wasn't entirely convinced this was true. Kai was obviously determined to prove himself, but right now it must not seem so important.

"But you're still going to come to training, right?" Jay asked.

"Of course." A ghost of a smile played on Kai's lips. "And I'm going to train twice as hard, now. Next time I'll beat you, Cole." For a second, the confidence and determination that they were used to seeing flickered in his eyes. But it faded as quickly as it had come, smothered by the harsh reminder of reality.

"Well, don't hurry back," Cole said. "I'm sure Sensei Wu will understand, once we explain."

"Thanks, guys," Kai said again. "It was nice of you to come."

Cole smiled as he threw him arm around him, too. "Brothers?"

Kai nodded. "Brothers."

Zane gestured for Jay to come closer, and the three of them crowded around Kai for a group hug. It was the first time Zane could remember feeling like he was right where he was meant to be.


	17. Friendly Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to let you all know that I'll be going on a (very late) vacation soon, and so I might not be able to post the next chapter on Tuesday. I gotta do final edits and make sure its exactly how I want it before posting, so it'll probably pop up later that week.
> 
> Also, just FYI, I think I tried and failed to show this, but the guys are starting to get a little older now. They're still young, but like, not that young anymore. It kind of depends on how old you think they were when the show started, but they're supposed to be getting closer to that age as the story goes on. Just thought I should mention that since I'm worried I'm not showing it well. As always, thanks for reading!

As the boys progressed with their training, Sensei Wu assigned each of them a unique weapons and began teaching them individually how to wield them. They didn't get to choose, which Jay had been somewhat disappointed about, but he still liked his new nunchucks.

It was very exciting – usually. But not so much today.

Today, Sensei Wu had dropped by briefly to announce that he had some other business to take care of, and in the meantime they were meant to practice what they had already learned. It was the kind of training that got real monotonous real fast. Naturally, they were finding other ways to entertain themselves, such as showing off how good they were getting. And as always, it was turning into a rather heated competition.

"Why must we go through this again?" Jay was saying. "I'm clearly the best! I mean, look at me!" He whipped his nunchucks around like Sensei had shown him the day before.  _Perfect!_  he thought to himself. That move didn't always go as well.

"Impressive," Kai said, pausing with his sword in hand. "But may I remind you, we  _all_ have new weapons. So what's your point?"

"Well I –"

Cole walked over to join in the argument, saying, "Jay's only point is that he won last time, so obviously he thinks he'll hold the title of Spinjitzu Master forever!" 'Spinjitzu Master' was a name they'd been using in their competitions, named, of course, after their Sensei's infamous technique. Even though none of them could do Spinjitzu yet, the name had a nice ring to it. The winner would have bragging rights to this title until the next time they held a competition. It was all very prestigious. Better than being "that kid who lives in a junkyard" like everyone else at home called Jay.

"This is highly irrational," Zane interrupted. "We should be training. If Sensei finds out –" Jay glanced at their Sensei's throne, its skeletal structure illuminated by a couple of violet torches. He had a point. It wouldn't go over well if Sensei returned to find them goofing off.

"Well, sparring with our weapons is training," Kai argued.

That was also a good point. Good enough to convince the rest of them.

They established the center isle as the ring and decided that the first one to strike his opponent with his weapon would be the winner. Cole split them up into pairs for a competition.

"Two matches," Cole explained. "And the winners of each face-off for the title. Whoever wins this one will be the new Spinjitzu Master for a month!" The others voiced their agreement and then Kai and Jay met in the middle of the ring.

"Alright, first up: Kai versus Jay." The two competitors respectfully bowed to each other before drawing their weapons. Kai brandished his sword, the silver blade glinting in the purple firelight. Jay just rolled his eyes.

"Ninja-GO!"

At Cole's command, they charged past on another, swinging their weapons through the air. But neither of them managed to leave a scratch. They whirled around to face each other again. Jay whipped his nunchucks around only to accidentally whack himself in the head. He was dazed for a moment before he realized that Kai was about to strike. He blocked the blow just in time.

_Alright, no more fancy moves,_ Jay resolved.

Kai moved around him again to gain a better vantage point, confusing Jay. But Jay caught him and their weapons clanged against each other as he tried and failed repeatedly to hit Kai.

Finally, Kai paused just long enough for Jay to prepare a final blow. He lifted his nunchucks and whirled them high above his head. But before he could execute the move, Kai sprang forward and touched the point of his blade against Jay's exposed chest.

"Kai is the winner!" Cole announced.

"Oh, come on!" Jay groaned. He wanted to argue, but Cole wouldn't hear it. He had no choice but to sit on the sidelines while the next two competitors took their places.

Kai remained in the middle to start the next match. "Next up, Cole versus Zane."

Jay, their only audience, pouted from his seat on the sidelines, hardly interested in the fight now that he had no chance to win.

"Ninja-GO!"

As before, the two bowed and then drew their weapons. Even though Kai had given the word, they hesitated, each studying the other's weaknesses and defenses.

Cole was the first to make a move. He pounced, slashing his scythe, but met only air as Zane leapt out of the way. Then Cole rushed toward him again, staying on the offensive as he bombarded his opponent with a series of blows. Zane was barely fast enough to block them all. He ducked, and then swiftly moved away from Cole. He threw a shuriken and it miraculously sunk into the wooden shaft of Cole's scythe.

Cole stared at the little weapon with wide eyes. Jay, too was shocked. Zane was always so precise, but to strike such a narrow, moving target was something else.

Zane took the moment of distraction to turn Cole's own tactic against him, assailing him with blow after blow. Admittedly, Jay was on the edge of his seat now. It looked like Zane might win.

Zane moved around his opponent, coming at him from every angle. It was all Cole could do to fend him off, until Zane came directly in front of him. Cole then used his scythe to swipe Zane's own feet out from under him. The blonde boy landed hard on his back, winded, and Cole put the blade of his weapon against Zane's throat, claiming victory.

"Cole wins!" Kai declared. Cole graciously helped Zane back to his feet. He then remained in the center of the ring for his next opponent while Zane went to sit beside Jay, who had gone back to his moping, now that the excitement was over.

Cole and Kai bowed and drew their weapons, then waited for the signal to start. When it didn't come, Cole threw a pointed look in Jay's direction.

Jay rolled his eyes and half-heartedly mumbled, "For the prize and the title of best ninja, blah, blah, ninja-go."

The boys didn't waste time getting started. They went back and forth, both of them striking and dodging, hitting nothing but air. Cole back flipped away, but Kai wasn't about to let him escape. He charged forward. Cole had been counting on this and was able to take advantage of Kai and throw him backwards to the edge of the ring. Behind him, Jay was getting wrapped up in the fight again and cheered alongside Zane. Angered by their show of favoritism, Kai got back to his feet and charged forward without thinking. Cole ducked and then jabbed him in the stomach with the top, dull end of his shaft. Kai was doubled over with an  _"Oof!"_ and stumbled backwards.

"Ha! Looks like I'm the new Spinjitzu Master!" Cole rejoiced. "You all are no match for me and my trusty scythe!" He sliced his weapon through the air in a display of his prowess.

Kai was rubbing his sore stomach with a sour expression. But then he smirked and said, "Nice run, bro. But we'll get you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Cole froze and looked at him indignantly. "We agreed that the winner was to be Spinjitzu Master for a month!"

Jay took the hint and shook his head. "Nope, that wasn't the deal!"

"I don't recall agreeing to that," Zane added, grinning mischievously.

Cole sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh brother."


	18. To Dance or to Dream?

Every day when he got home, Cole would quickly switch his school bag with one for "dance practice." He was always so excited to meet up with Sensei Wu and his friends to learn more and improve his skills. However, on one particular day, as he approached the front door and called out, "By Dad, I'm off to practice!" his father called out to stop him

"Hold on, Cole I need to speak with you before you go."

Reluctantly, Cole entered the practice room where his father could always be found at this time of day. "What's up?" he asked.

"Look what we got in the mail today!" his dad singsonged. He held up a letter – already opened – with large fancy print at the top that read: Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts. "They've said that they're looking forward to your application in the future, and that you're practically a shoo-in to be accepted. Or you will be." His father was beaming from ear to ear, ready to burst with excitement. "Isn't that great?"

Cole attempted a fake smile but answered dryly, "Yeah, that's fantastic. I can't wait until I can  _actually apply_." Even though Cole was still a few years from being able to apply for and attend the prestigious school, his father was much too eager, and was doing everything to make sure that his son would be accepted when the time came. He'd written a letter to the school asking for clarification on what Cole would need to get in, as well as his current eligibility.

"It's never too early to start thinking about your future, son. Now, how are your grades? Still straight A's I hope?"

"Well . . . I think I have a few B's right now," Cole said absentmindedly. There might have been a C somewhere in there, too . . . So maybe training had become first priority to him, and school had taken a back seat. So what if he didn't completed or even turn in every single assignment? "I can bring them back up," he reasoned

But his father crossed his arms and said warningly, "Cole . . . You know that you have to keep your grades up if you want to get into that school."

"Dad, it's not a big deal. I still have time to fix them."

"Not a big deal? Your entire future is at stake! Marty Oppenheimer's only accepts the very best – grades like that would never be good enough, no matter how much talent you have! You've obviously been getting distracted from your studies."

"I'm not getting distracted, I just –"

"No, no, I don't want to hear any excuses."

"Excuses!" Cole repeated, indignant.

"Do you not understand how important this is? Or do you just not want to get into this school? Cole, if you don't start taking your school work more seriously, you won't be guaranteed a spot at Marty Oppenheimer's, and then where will you be? You might as well kiss all your dreams good-bye!"

Cole rolled his eyes. "I've got a lot going on, okay? I can't do everything at once."

But Cole's father shook his head. "Maybe I ought to take you out of a few of your extra classes, if you think you need more time."

"Wait, what? No! That's not what I meant!" His father didn't know it, but ninja training was one of those "extra classes." He couldn't take that away!

"Perhaps I have been pushing you too hard. If you can't make do with what you have now then it would obviously be better to give you more time to focus on your studies."

"Can't we talk –"

"Put all that down, you can practice with me later. Your new priority every day from now on is to get your schoolwork done first. You can practice afterwards."

In a fit of rage, Cole threw his things to the floor. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't want to be a dancer for the rest of my life?" he shouted.

His father looked like he was about to say something in retort, but then confusion settled on his features as he seemed to take in what Cole had said.

Cole swallowed, instantly regretting his words. But there was no turning back now. It was now or never.

"What if . . ." he continued slowly, trying to be intentional with his words. "What if I tried something else? In addition to dancing . . . and maybe I could go to Marty Oppenheimer's . . . or maybe not. But do I have to decide all of that right now? What if I decide that I want to do something else? What if . . . ?" he trailed off, not sure what else he could say and growing increasingly uncertain of what his father would say.

His father was silent for a while. Cole was hopeful. Maybe they could finally come to an understanding. Was that too much to ask?

But his father's gaze was hard and did not look very understanding. "After everything we've worked for?" he said, his voice eerily quiet. "You want to just throw it all away?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying! At least, that's not what I meant . . ."

His father shook his head and Cole was ashamed to see only disappointment in his eyes. "You don't know what you're asking. You've been working at this for years. You can't just quit dancing and learn a new skill overnight. Look son, I know it gets tough at times, but you've got to stick with it!"

"Dad, please –"

"You're not quitting, and that's final."

"But I –"

"I'm done talking about this, Cole."

"If you would just –"

"I said that's enough!" his father shouted.

Cole stopped abruptly. His mouth still hung open, desperate to say more, but any attempt would be futile.

His father nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now I am willing to take out some of your practice time to give more time for school, but I don't want to hear any more about the subject otherwise, is that clear?"

Cole was glaring at his father but swiftly averted his gaze. "Yes, sir," he mumbled.

His father gave another curt nod. "Good." He then turned and walked away. As soon as he had left the room, Cole didn't even bother to pick up his bag and darted out of the house. He wasn't about to let his father stop him from doing the thing he loved most. No matter what, he wouldn't let him take this away.

* * *

Cole arrived in a huff. The others had already gotten changed and were busy stretching when he came in, though Wu wasn't around yet.

"You okay, bro?" Jay asked him.

"I'm fine," Cole growled.

Jay exchanged a glance with Zane and Kai, but didn't try asking any more questions. But even after Cole had gone to change into his ninja gi and returned, he was clearly still in a bad mood. They tried to ignore it at first, hoping that he would lighten up as time went on. But their leader only seemed to be getting angrier.

Eventually, Zane decided that he couldn't keep silent any longer, and so he approached Cole to ask him about it directly. "I don't need my sixth sense to realize that there is something bothering you, brother. Please, what is the matter?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Cole huffed.

"Cole," Zane said sternly, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eye. "Please do not shut us out like this. We are not simply your friends, we are a family. But that cannot be if we don't trust each other enough to confide in one another. What is there to fear?"

Cole heaved a sigh, knowing Zane was right. Kai had been willing to trust them once, why shouldn't he? "It's just . . . I guess I've been bottling it up so long that I don't know how to let it out." He looked up at Zane, then to Jay and Kai. "But you're right. If there's anyone I'm gonna vent to, it's you guys."

Jay held out open arms and said, "Tell us of your woes!"

Cole cracked a smile. "It's my dad. He's got this dream of me becoming a dancer –" he broke off as Jay and Kai snickered, trying to hold back their laughter. "Yeah yeah, I know. Anyway. He has my whole future planned out for me, but the thing is, I don't think I want to be a dancer." He ran his fingers through the dark strands of his hair and sighed. "Scratch that. I  _hate_  dancing. I like training to be a ninja a lot more."

Jay raised his hand. "Isn't fighting a lot like dancing?"

"Sorta. I mean, maybe my experience helps me to be a better fighter. But, I just – he makes it so stressful, you know? I have to do everything perfectly if I want to get into the best school in all of Ninjago, the school he picked out for me! I'm still years away from even being able to apply! It's crazy!" Cole was getting very animated now and Zane put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"I am sorry that your father puts so much pressure on you," Zane said sympathetically.

Cole glanced at his friend, feeling a small pang of remorse. "I'm sorry, Zane. I shouldn't be complaining like this. I should be grateful to have a father who cares so much about my future."

But Zane shook his head. "On the contrary, you have every right to feel upset. Just because some have it worse does not mean that your problems are invalid."

"It's not a competition," Kai added.

"Thanks, guys." Cole sighed. "I'm glad to have you all. It feels good to be able to talk about this. I tried explaining to him how I felt today, but he just doesn't listen."

"And he never will." The boys jumped in surprise at the sound of their sensei's voice. Wu was walking towards them, his staff lightly tapping against the ground. "My father was much like yours Cole. I constantly lived in his shadow, and he could never see me for who I truly was." He paused and heaved a sigh, looking as if a heavy load of regret rested on his shoulders. "I had hoped that things would change someday, that I would get through to him. I hoped that one day, I could finally make him see me for who I truly was. Sadly, he never did."

Cole wasn't very encouraged by this as he examined his teacher, old and worn with years of trouble and regret, still living in the consequences of those long years. "Sensei, what should I do?" he asked.

Sensei Wu met his gaze and said, "Take matters into your own hands. You don't want to keep letting your father tell you how to live your life, so start living the way you want to. Do whatever it takes. Don't listen to him because he'll never listen to you. I only wish I had learned that sooner."

Cole thought this sounded like odd advice, and he wasn't sure what exactly that meant in terms of immediate action. But Sensei's advice was never straightforward.

"You must ask yourself who you want to live for," Sensei went on. "Your father, who will never allow you to be who you want, or yourself, which will allow you to discover your true potential. Think about it."

Cole did. He went home that day and thought long and hard about it.

The next day, his father approached him about their argument again. At first Cole was hopeful that he would be able to get through to his father, now that they weren't so angry. But it soon became apparent that his father had no interest in hear what Cole had to say. He just wrote off Cole's outburst as a phase that he would eventually "get over." It seemed that Wu had been right. Cole's father would never see things his way.

And yet, what could he do about it?


	19. Achievement Unlocked

The Underworld had taken some time for Zane to get used to, but now the dim light and gaping caverns didn’t seem so strange to him anymore. Either way, it was home now, and he couldn’t complain. There was still so much about this place he didn’t understand, and maybe he never would.

But he didn’t think he’d ever get used to the creatures that lived there, though. Skeletal beings that seemed to be more brawn than brain, harmless, as Wu had reassured him. And indeed, they weren’t half as menacing as they had seemed when Zane and his friends had first stumbled upon them as children. It didn’t take long for Zane to realize that Wu held some sort of authority over them. When he asked about this, Wu simply stated that he had won their loyalty shortly after being banished here. Zane mostly tried to stay out of their way and kept to himself.

One perk to living here was that Zane got a lot more one-on-one training with Wu. His brothers envied him for the extra attention. But there wasn’t much else for him to do, and Wu insisted that he keep up a regimen to keep from becoming idle. Wu was more strict in the extra hours, but this didn’t bother Zane He appreciated that his teacher expected only the best from him.

However, there were many occasions when Wu would disappear for long periods of time. Recently, he’d been doing this during training sessions as well. There were days when he would be late or show up for only a few brief moments. Zane wondered where he could possibly be going if he was banished.

 “My physical body is trapped here,” Wu had explained. “But I can visit Ninjago as an intangible observer, a shadow, if you will. You may not have realized that was my form on the day we first met. When I leave here, I go to find my brother. I have told you how dangerous he is. Now he has hidden the weapons, and I must find them and take them back, before _he_ uses them for evil.”

“And what if he does?” Zane asked. “How can you stop him?”

But Wu had shaken his head. “That’s not for you to worry about. Not yet.”

* * *

Though it had been a long time since their first meeting with Wu, the boys had not forgotten his impressive display of Spinjitzu. Wu made sure of that. He would use it occasionally during practice fights, just to remind them of their ultimate goal. And after years of begging, years of honing their skills in all other aspects of their training, Wu had finally agreed to begin teaching them Spinjitzu.

The problem was, it wasn’t as clear cut as the other moves they had studied so far. Master Wu had constructed a course for them and had them practicing on it daily, promising that it would soon help them unlock the power that they each sought. To them, it didn’t seem much like of method to forming a colorful tornado of “butt-kicking awesomeness,” but they had learned by now not to question their teacher’s instructions. Well, not directly at least.

“When are we going to learn some actual Spinjitzu?” Jay whined in the absence of their Sensei. “I’m so sick of this obstacle course. I could do it backwards if I wanted!”

“I’m sure that Sensei Wu would not have us do anything that did not serve a specific purpose,” Zane said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He trusted Sensei Wu as a teacher, but he couldn’t justify this exercise with what they had seen. Still, he knew that there had to be _some_ purpose to the course. “If we keep practicing, I truly believe that we will achieve something worthwhile.”

Cole glanced at the door as if he expected their teacher to return at any moment and hear them complaining. “Zane’s right. Just because we don’t understand the point of it doesn’t mean that there isn’t one.”

“Can we at least take a break?” Kai asked.

Cole thought about it briefly and nodded. “Sure. A break would be nice right about now.”

Not a moment later, the door burst open and their sensei entered. Zane hurriedly lined up alongside the others in front of Wu. Zane couldn’t help but notice, as he often did, how quickly they’d all grown recently. Naturally, their heights fluctuated over time, but collectively they could more or less meet Wu’s gaze now, and likely some of them would still continue to grow.

“It’s time to show me what you’ve learned,” Wu stated, and Zane noticed his brothers exchanging nervous glances. Zane had to admit that he, also, was confused. They had not learned anything yet, surely he knew that?

A group of skeletal soldiers was filing in after Wu – for a while now, Sensei had been pitting the boys against the Skulkin to let them practice against new opponents and perform as a whole team. Like Zane, the others found them a lot less intimidating once they’d overpowered them a few times.

 “Whoa, hang on a minute!” Cole objected. “Honestly, Sensei, We still haven’t figured out Spinjitzu.”

“Spinjiztu is already inside each and every one of you,” he said sternly. “But it will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found.”

Zane pondered this riddle while Wu made his way to his seat at the front of the room. Their sensei began making himself a pot of tea while the horde of Skulkin surrounded his students. His meaning hadn’t been very clear, but then again, he usually wasn’t. Unsure of themselves, Zane, Jay, Cole, and Kai had no choice but to prepare themselves for a fight.

“Come on boys, let’s show ‘em what we got,” Cole said under his breath, though Zane suspected that he, too, was not as confident as he pretended.

The Skulkin were the first to make a move, surging forward like an ocean tide and nearly overwhelming the ninja. Typically, they weren’t all that difficult to defeat, the main issue was that they wouldn’t stay down. They were undead, after all, and even if you knocked off a head or an arm, they would simply put themselves back together and come back for more.

Even though the boys were each giving it their best effort, not wanting to let Sensei Wu down, Zane feared that it wouldn’t be enough. This resembled any other sparring match, yet the pressure to do well made him more nervous than he would normally be. He simply couldn’t imagine how they were meant to achieve Spinjitzu. Zane tried to focus on what Sensei Wu had said about a key. He was always using metaphors like that to teach them. The answer must be hiding in plain sight.

Zane was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard an exclamation from Jay.

“Guys, look!” he was saying. “It’s just like the training course!” Zane kicked away another skeleton and paused to glance at Jay as he fell into the routine they’d knew so well. He skipped over the heads of a couple of skeletons, then flipped over a few swinging swords.

 “Over the planks,” he said, listing off the familiar movements. “Dodge the swords . . . and here comes the dummy – ka ching!” In the final move he spun around and whacked a skeleton away with his nunchucks as blue sparks began to flash around him. In an instant he was hidden from view by a whirling blue tornado crackling energy. “Wahooo!”

Zane marveled as, all around him the skeleton army was effortlessly knocked away by the power of his cyclone. He spun around the cavern, picking them off one by one.

“Spinjitzu!” Kai exclaimed. “Jay! What’s the key?”

“I’m just going through the motions,” Jay explained. “This is what Sensei must have meant when he said we already know it!”

Of course! Zane immediately copied Jay, imagining that course was in front of him. When he spun around he found himself engulfed in shards of ice. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion, and now the Skulkin were no match, much too slow to react to his attacks.

He batted away one after the other, then easily came to a stop before a couple of skeletons who had been too distracted insulting one another. “I sense you do not stand a chance,” he quipped, smirking as the ran away in fear.

 “Retreat!” Samukai, their general, called as all four of the newest Spinjitzu Masters sent them running from the room. The boys halted to watch their enemy flee out the door.

“Ha! Guess they didn’t want a second serving of these babies,” Cole gloated as he flexed. “Good thing they didn’t check out the merchandise in the back!” He turned and flinched when he saw that their master was still observing from atop his throne. In all the excitement, they had forgotten he was there. He quickly put his arms down and nudged his brothers to turn as well, and they all kneeled before their sensei.

Wu slowly set down his teacup. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves. That was a poor performance, even for a first attempt. Still, I suppose that this is the moment you’ve been training for since the day you first came. Perhaps you do deserve to celebrate.”

“Thank you, Sensei,” Cole said solemnly. “We wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Wu nodded. “And you still have a long way to go yet. Do not think that your training ends here – you have barely scratched the surface of what you are truly capable of.” With that, he rose to his feet and left them to rejoice.

Jay leapt to his feet. “Woohoo! Did you see that? I was amazing!”

“Uh, did you see me? I was spectacular!” Kai argued

“Hey, I'm the one who figure it out first!”

“But I believe I had the better form,” Zane cut in.

“Ha, you wish!” Cole said, rolling his eyes. “I knew that course better than any of you, clearly I was the best!”

“The best at tripping over yourself,” Kai teased him.

Zane chuckled to himself as his brothers went back and forth, and it occurred to him how happy he was since coming here. He was proud of himself, proud of all of them, for putting in all the hard work to be able to achieve their goal and pull off something they’d been dreaming of for years. He had no regrets, choosing them as his family. Even if no one else wanted him, they did. It felt good to be a part of something, to be able to participate and laugh and truly enjoy himself without feeling singled out. They were a team, and this victory they shared as one.


	20. Secrets

Kai was still buzzing from the fight the day before. They’d finally learned Spinjitzu, and Kai felt like the grandest dreams of his childhood were now possible. Nothing could touch him or his family ever again. Kai felt invincible.

He jogged down the stairs of his humble home on his way to another training session. Sensei had been clear that Spinjitzu was only the beginning, and he was excited to see what was next. There was a whole new world of possibilities before him, and he wanted to be master of them all. When he reached the ground floor, he saw that his dad was at the forge and his sister was sitting nearby.

Nya would often sit down here to sketch out ideas and keep their father company. She was always making new things, and their dad would always fawn over her as ideas as if they were the greatest thing in the world, even when they weren’t. If only Kai could show him what he'd learned. Then his father would be impressed with him, too. 

When Kai came down, she glanced up at him with a strange look. What was she upset about, now? She always seemed to be annoyed with him about something, so he just ignored her. 

Dad was heating up a blade that wasn’t quite tapered properly. His skin glistened with sweat after working in the fires all day. “Going out again, Kai?” he asked.

Kai shrugged nonchalantly. “’Course.” Really, all his dad knew was that he would leave every day to hang out with friends, but nothing more than that. In the past, Kai had never wanted to tell his parents about the secret training sessions because of their obvious disapproval at the idea of him fighting, but then he had become even more worried that red-eyed Wu and his creepy cave and his army of skeletons would get an even worse response, if his father knew.

A shadow seemed to flicker over his father’s expression, but his eyes were glued to the fire and he didn’t say anymore than, “Alright. Have fun.”

Kai turned to leave through the wide gap in the front of the forge.

“Wait.”

Kai paused and looked back at his sister. What did she want now?

But her gaze had softened and she looked at him innocently as she asked, “Kai, can you hand me my wrench?” and pointed it out. Then she shrugged. “You’re closer.”

Kai quirked an eyebrow, uncertain about the sudden change in attitude. Warily, Kai looked around and retrieved it for her. In retrospect, he should have been suspicious that she was asking for a wrench when she was using a pencil and paper. As he reached out to hand over the tool, Nya seized his wrist and pushed back the sleeve of his shirt.

“See!” Nya cried out triumphantly.

Beneath the sleeve she had revealed numerous bruises of all shapes and hues, mottled across his arm like some sort of disease.

“Nya!” Their father was less than impressed. “I told you to leave it alone!”

“But this is proof, Dad,” she argued as Kai ripped his arm away. “Genuine proof!”

Kai tugged his sleeve back down over his wrist. “Proof of what?” he retorted. “It was from an accident!”

Nya leaned forward as she said, “Oh, don’t even go there, I know you’re lying! Your arms have been bruised for months at least, and they’re always fresh!”

“Stay out of this, Nya,” he growled. “It’s none of your business!”

“Of course it is, I’m your sister.”

“Enough, both of you!” Their father had left the steel blade resting near the fire and come to break up the argument. As they both fell silent, he turned to Kai, the distress clear in his eyes. Kai defensively crossed his arms and met his gaze, daring his father to accuse him as she did. Instead, he turned back to Nya. “I told you that I would take care of this.”

“By doing nothing?”

“Nya, this is not the way to address the issue.”

“There is no issue,” Kai snarled.

“Then explain what’s really going on!” his sister challenged.

“I told you, it’s none of your business!”

“Kai,” their father interjected again, his tone softer. “We’re your family and we’re worried about you. If it really is nothing, please, tells us what happened.”

“It’s that stupid counter upstairs,” he said coolly, nodding his head to indicate. “I run into it every day. It’s nothing.”

Now his father was starting to get frustrated. “Kai, if you don’t tell me the truth right now, I’m going to find out one way or another.”

“Who are these friends that you’re always with?” Nya asked. "Did they do this?" 

Technically she was right, but that was just the kind of thing that came from their intense training. There wasn't anything wrong with it! Kai was starting to feel cornered by both of them, and it only made him more defensive. “It doesn’t matter! There’s nothing wrong!”

“I think it does matter,” his father said. “It seems like your friends of yours might be a problem.”

“You haven’t been the same since you started hanging out with them,” Nya pointed out.

“That was a long time ago,” Kai argued.

“Nya’s right. I’ve noticed it, too.”

Kai rolled his eyes. “Of course, Nya’s right. She’s always right, isn’t she?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” his sister asked incredulously.

“I mean, the only reason he believes this is because he’ll believe anything you say.”

“What?!”

“That’s how it’s always been: Nya’s always right, Nya’s so smart, Nya’s better at everything, Nya can get away with  _anything_!”

“That’s not true!” she protested.

“It’s always been about Nya and how great she is – up until now, when you have to think I’m hurt to really acknowledge me.” Kai glimpsed the shock in his father’s eyes but avoided both of their gazes. “No matter what I do I do, I’m not good enough for you. And now you can’t even trust me.”

“Kai.” His father’s voice was low as he placed a hand on his shoulder. “I want to trust you. But right now, I’m too scared to let this go unanswered.  _Please_  tell me what’s going on.”

Kai was silent for a long while. All his anger towards his father that had been festering over the years was finally culminating in this moment. All he'd ever wanted to do was make his father proud, but his father never seemed to believe in him. 

“I don’t see why I should,” Kai said evenly. “Maybe you’re the one jumping to conclusions.” It was a weak argument, but Kai refused to admit defeat.

His father crossed his arms. “Well then, you’re not leaving this house until you tell me the truth!”

Kai didn’t say a word as he turned and stormed off to his room. He wasn’t going to give in, but his father wasn’t aware of what all Kai was capable of. He could make threats, but he couldn’t actually keep him from leaving . . . .

There was nothing that would keep Kai from his training or his friends. They were the only ones who understood him, after all. And with all of Sensei Wu’s training, it would be easy to slip out of the house unnoticed. Kai wasn't about to let anything stand between him and his ambitions.


	21. Welcome Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot it's Tuesday!!! I'm so sorry, my schedule's all scrambled from having an day off, and I nearly forgot to post this! Here you go, hope you like:

The time was drawing near, Wu could sense it. His students were getting fed up with their lives and were nearly ready to turn and accept everything he could offer them. He just needed their unwavering loyalty and the first part of his plan would finally be complete. If he could get all of them under his control, there would be nothing to stop him from stealing back the golden Weapons of Spinjitzu.

He had known it wouldn't be easy; convincing them to leave their lives behind wasn't a simple task. But at every chance, any sign of dissatisfaction in their lives, he had been planting seeds of doubt and resentment. Soon they would surely devote themselves to their master.

* * *

It had started out as a regular day for Jay. Eight hours of school where he only half listened to lectures while he sketched and planned out ideas for inventions in his notebook. Nothing much happened because, for the most part, Jay would sit with himself and his thoughts, planning for the after-school hours, which he would either tinker or train away. This day was no different. That is, until his parents came onto the scene.

School had just ended when Jay's parents arrived in their rickety old jalopy. Jay was in front of the school's entrance, just about to start his long walk home when they arrived. He heard the thing well before he could see it, so he knew everyone else's attention would be drawn to it as well.

And indeed, as the old car puttered up along the drive, all heads turned to stare. Jay ducked his own head in embarrassment.  _What are they doing here?!_ he wondered. Normally he would walk home for the express reason of  _not_ giving them a chance to embarrass him in front of his peers.

His mother was waving to him as his father turned the engine off. Jay tried to manage a smile. "Hey Mom. Dad. What are you guys doing here?"

"We thought we would surprise you!" his mother announced as she approached him.

"You didn't have to do that," Jay said flatly.

"Goodness, that bag looks so heavy!" his mother exclaimed. "Let me help you carry it."

Jay adjusted the strap on his shoulder and shifted away so she couldn't pull it away. "Ma, please. I'm fine!" Jay glanced around nervously, acutely aware of the many eyes that were focused on him and his parents. He swore he could hear whispers behind him.

Thankfully, his mother backed up at his request. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I just wanted to help."

His father chuckled. "Now Edna, Jay's a big, strong boy, I'm sure he can handle it."

"So, ah,  _why_  did you guys decide to surprise me?" Jay asked, hoping they had a legitimate reason.

"Well, we were out," his mom began, "and we had just finished up some grocery shopping when I realized that you were going to get out of school soon. And I know that you always have to walk so far to get home, so I told your father, I said, wouldn't it be a nice idea to pick you up from school, and then we could all head back to the junkyard together!"

Jay's cheeks burned with embarrassment at the mention of his home. Now there was definitely some chuckling coming from behind. " _Mom!"_  He'd asked his parents time and time again not to talk about where they lived.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear." His mother looked sincere, but that didn't undo the damage she had already caused.

Jay heaved a sigh. He knew he shouldn't get so angry with them. It's not like they were  _trying_  to embarrass him. They just didn't know when to stop. It was days like this that made him wish he was someone else.

"Come on, let's just go." Jay followed his parents back to the car, avoiding the burning gazes of those watching. He climbed into the back seat and they drove off.

Jay tried not to stay angry, but he was fuming all the way back home. They were always doing things like this. And thanks to them, he could never seem to escape his reputation as the nerdy kid from the junkyard, with overzealous parents and embarrassing stories galore. But his parents couldn't understand what the problem was, no matter how many times he tried to explain it to them. It was hard to be patient sometimes, to let go when they kept doing things like this over and over and over again.

He'd been thinking on this for a while now. What he needed was a break. To get away, just for a little bit, just so he could have some time away from his parents to be his own person, so he wouldn't have to worry about them popping up and embarrassing him all the time. So he could be who he wanted to be instead of what everyone saw him as.

There was only one place where he truly felt like he wasn't judged, like he could be whoever he wanted to be. And it was just about time for another session.

* * *

Jay didn't waste any time when he arrived.

He jogged up to Wu, calling, "Sensei, sir, I uh, wanted to ask you a favor."

"Yes?" Sensei Wu was never a very warm person, and the way he prompted Jay made the boy even more nervous.

He averted his gaze and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I was kind of hoping . . . you know, since you let Zane stay here, that maybe, if you didn't mind, you might let me stay, too?"

Sensei Wu's gaze darkened, and Jay thought it must be from disappointment, but really he was seeing an opportunity. "You're not trying to run away from home, are you?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Jay answered hurriedly, waving away the idea. "I just need to get away from home for a little while. Like a vacation. My parents, they're driving me crazy! I can't stand it any longer."

Wu nodded, and he wore a slight smile beneath his dark beard. "Of course you can stay. You are  _all_ welcome here. Consider it your second home."

Jay broke into a grin, clearly relieved.

"But Jay," Cole cut in, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What made you want to leave your home? Your parents seem great."

"Yeah, they  _seem_  great. And, I mean, they are, sort of," he added quickly. "It's just, sometimes they're a little  _too much_. I mean, I love them, and I'll probably go back home after a little while, but I just really need some space right now. I'm an only child, so they kind of smother me a lot. And they're so embarrassing . . . Ugh, now it just sounds like I'm ungrateful. But I'm not kidding you, you live with as long as I have, it gets to be more than a guy can handle. I just really need some time away from them, y'know."

Kai huffed. "So you're  _moving out_? That seems a little extreme."

"Hey, Zane was like, a kid when he started living here!"

"Legally, we're still considered children," Zane informed him.

"Zane doesn't have any family at all!" Kai argued. "He  _needed_  a place to stay."

"I don't have a whole lot of options, either!"

"Okay, okay!" Cole spoke over them. "Nobody's judging you, Jay. I'm sure you have good reasons, given the circumstances." Their leader heaved a sigh. "And you might have a point. To be honest, I've been thinking about the same thing."

"Seriously?" Jay exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Cole nodded. "My dad's been threatening to make me stop having these 'lessons' because he thinks it's too much of a distraction. Nothing's changed. He wants me to be a dancer, but I want to be something  _more_."

"So . . . you want to stay here, too?" Jay asked, still surprised.

Cole was quiet for a moment. He looked up at Zane. "You like it here?"

For a moment, Zane's gaze flitted between him and Sensei Wu. Then he tentatively said, "It is a strange place . . . but a good home if you have no other."

Cole seemed to come to a conclusion as he nodded. "Then I'd like to stay. If you'll have me?"

Wu nodded graciously. "Of course. You can both stay here for as long as you like."

"Woohoo! Mega sleepover!" Jay cheered as he put his arms around Cole and Zane. "This is going to be awesome! Kai, you sure you don't want to join us?"

Cole shook his head. "Jay, stop, that's not funny. We'd never ask him to leave his family like that."

Jay rolled his eyes. "It was just a joke!"

But Kai was glaring at the ground, deep in thought.

"Something on your mind?" Wu asked him.

Kai heaved a sigh. "No. You're right. I can't do that to them."

The other boys exchanged a glance. Wu narrowed his eyes. "You don't sound very sure of yourself."

Kai remained silent.

"There's something you're not telling us," Wu pressed.

"He shouldn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to," Cole objected.

But after another moment of silence Kai said, "I know how you feel, Cole. My father already told me that I can't come back here. Well, he still does know where it is I go, but he doesn't like me hanging out with you guys. I've been sneaking out of the house every day . . ."

Wu shook his head with faux disappointment. "Kai, I am appalled at you."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Kai asked defensively. "He wasn't being fair, and I don't want to stop coming here! You guys are my friends, and I've learned so much – please, Sensei, don't make me stop."

"What reason could he have for you not being with friends?" Zane wondered.

Kai glanced away. "He just doesn't understand," the boy growled. "He doesn't even care. I don't think he would even if I told him the truth."

"You may have a point there," Wu agreed, goading Kai's anger.

"So what do I do?"

Wu gestured to the Jay, Zane and Cole. "They have already made up their minds."

"You're right," Kai said with a decisive nod. "This is way too important. I'm not going to let him take it away from me."

"So . . . it looks like we're sticking together," Cole said. Jay held an arm out and Kai joined them in their little group hug.

"Wonderful." This was almost too good to be true. Wu watched with satisfaction as the boys embraced each other.

At last, the pieces of his plan were visibly falling into place. He really had no intention of ever letting them leave. He already had them under his thumb, and as long as they were here, it would be so much easier to convince them that they had nothing to go back to. Their elemental power was as good as his.

He was still searching for the Weapons of Spinjitzu, but it wouldn't be long before he found where his brother had hidden them. And then his students would finally achieve their purpose.


	22. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO chapters this week, and this is the very last for Part 1. Enjoy!

Years had passed since Garmadon finished his mission to scatter the golden weapons, and now it had been so long that he could almost forget that there was ever any danger. Even his guilt had subsided, and he thought of his brother less these days. Now his hair was gray, his bones would ache, and even his son – his dear, beloved son – was training every day in preparation for his destiny. Ninjago was at peace.

But peace was not to last forever, and one day, as Garmadon meditated amongst the spirit smoke, a vision came to him.

He could see his brother clearly. Barely recognizable, now the evil within was reflected on the outside as well. But beside him stood four young ninja warriors. Garmadon gasped as he realized that these four, these protégés of his twisted brother, were masters of the four elements. They each had the power to wield one of the four weapons – with their help, there would be nothing to stop Wu.

Or so he thought. Garmadon's brow furrowed as the images before him shifted.

Now there were four more ninja, clad in bright colors, locked in battle against his brothers dark pawns. They fought to protect the golden weapons. They fought for peace.m

Garmadon's eyes snapped open. His heart raced and his breath was labored as if he'd been a part of the fight he'd just witnessed.

The message was all too obvious: His brother was going to return, sooner rather than later. Though the Final Battle was still far off, Wu still posed a threat to all of Ninjago.

But, at least Garmadon had some warning, and now he knew what he had to do. If Wu had found Masters of the elements to fight for him, Garmadon would do the same. Balance was key, and if there was to be peace in Ninjago, there would need to be more than one old man to defend it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick announcement: I will be starting Book 2 the week after next, on the 17th. Just to give myself a slight break, and also I plan to do some teeny tiny minor edits to this one (of course the story won't change at all, it's just small stuff I noticed after posting).
> 
> But what I will do next week is post the cover image for Book 2 on my Deviantart (under the same username). So you can check that out if you're interested in getting another little hint as to what, or who, it will be about. Although you can probably already guess . . . If you've enjoyed this at all, I think you'll love the next one even more! I'll see you there!


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